2018 Will Soon Be In The History Books.

As the sun sets  as the last sunset of 2018, the year has been somewhat a turmoil-type year. Those kind of years are bound to happen over the course of time. Living through a few myself, its just one of those thing where you deal with it as a 'give-me' or 'given'. That's part of life's equation. But, in the  grand scheme of things, frankly, I'm glad to see it go for several reasons. My hope for all here is that 2019 will be a better year all the way around for everyone.

Errands filled my late morning hours and my brother and his wife took me out to lunch at Desperados, the official caterers of the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers and the 2011 Super Bowl. If you have eaten there more than once, you quickly understand how they got to be that well known, although the family has been cooking wonderful meals since 1976. I like the Chicken Chimichanga. This was my second time having them. While I don't eat big meals much any more, this is one that I can handle and not feel like I've over eaten when leaving.

Also, some think that they are a bit over priced. Not so. The service is exceptional and any time you have waiters and host and busboys standing at the ready in the main dining area, you know you have a quality place to eat. I should go back there more often than I do.

The errands took me to the gas station, the drugstore and the supermarket for a couple of items to help make New Years Day to feel welcomed. I sat in the driveway talking to a neighbor. He was on his way to the drugstore where I had just come from myself. In the middle part, I had made a pass of the lake seeing the little Kestrel Hawk (sparrow hawk) sitting in his favorite tree. He's a cute little devil, having remembered that the last time that I shot him just has I clicked the shutter, He evacuated. There are funny moments in photography.

The other stop was to photograph one of the Dallas Sears Stores that made the latest list of 80 Sears and K-Mart Stores closing. Actually, there were more than just a handful that I recognized in four states. This store was part of a mall that closed several hears ago and was torn down around  the Sears Store leaving it truly a stand alone store with Lowe's and several others building on the old mall site. I noticed a bit of maintenance that always seems to be the case when businesses are let go and fall in disrepair.

The fast moving cold front that is forecast to bring snow and sleet and freezing rain very near us on Wednesday has slowed down and will linger another day even closer. I'm so hoping to have snow to photograph. I'm not wishing for ice and the misery that comes with down power lines and tree limbs. Time will tell. It is time to start reading the National Weather Service Discussion topics more closely on the time cycles that they generate.

So, with this post, I'll close out this year. I have already changed the codes in my camera for 2019 copyrights. Which reminds me---I have to do that on the blog and the web page, too!.

American Kestrel Sparrow Hawk

This Sears Store and one other that are closing are the two closest to my house. The last time I was in here was about three years ago and the clerks were NOT helpful. I never went back again.

American Kestrel Hawk. Cute in a cute way.

Happy New Year. Hope to see you in 2019, again. Thanks for reading our little corner of the world.


12/31/18: to remove ghost words from text.

A Surprise I Had Not Expected.

My surprise was to discovered and read an article written by an NPR reporter about my great uncle and his son, which would be my dad's full uncle and his son being my dad's full cousin. In the line of family history, my paternal grandmother's sister was the wife of great uncle. Farther down the line there was a mention about another enterprise of my great uncle and his nephew had been the one to keep that going for many years. He would have been the son of my paternal grandmothers other sister and their dad had been the leading  one who provisioned  live stock for several counties of farmers. In addition to being one of the board members of the Board of Education for that community he was a well know businessman. 

Now, I have seen and read articles that  were on the web by other family members, but never by a journalist that wrote for NPR  ( I love NPR stories that they produce). So I took my time exploring the article from top to bottom and reading all the captions under the pictures only to find that there was one image that the reporter published but captioned, "I have no ideal who this is." Well, I do. It was my mother when she was in her teens. Several months before she passed away, she had retold the story to me because I had found an old picture and had ask her about it. After she had passed, I was going through some of her things and I was in particular, looking for that picture. It was no where to be found. Mom had a little habit to sending things to people  that were in the media that she knew without any explanation who had sent it. Then, she would wait to see if they picked up on the story or made mention. There was a an anchor that she was particularly found to banter back and forth with.

One of our neighbors was a local news anchor. There were a few radio personalities that she was fond of as well. The link to all of these were the fact that they were broadcasters at either radio stations or television stations. And that link was something our family had always been proud to be a part.


In the article, the reporter noted his photography interest  and how that also included trains. Both of those things are long noted in this blog of my own profile. So, this coming week, I will send an email to the reporter and let him know about his picture that he had no ideal who it was. Hopefully, It will help in some way. He has authored a book on the subject.

My youngest brother and I are having our Christmas lunch on Monday, New Years Eve.  Ice, sleet, freezing rain and S*N*O*W are being forecast for Wednesday. While the models are all coming closer to agreement on the Pacific storm, Not any of the models can give an accurate track or how much unforeseen moisture  there is to work it above the fact that there will be some!

My Great Uncle Founded KBTM AM 1230 Radio

and his son began the first FM radio station in the state of Arkansas

.

Christmas Is Officially Over In My House

An old light standard in a parking lot near Love Field that was still working, but now, it has been cannibalized. It is sad to see cast iron ornateness in such beauty and no one is restoring  for a shop sidewalk or  even a yard in some of the Ronnie Houses.

When I sit down to have the first bowl of homemade Turkey noodle soup after rendering the turkey carcass down to the end stock, then Christmas is officially over. Well, I just had the first bowl for this year and not to brag, but UH! was it good!. Something about homemade soups I have always liked, I even do the same thing to the ham bone making ham and lentil soup. Although, I don't eat as much ham as I once did, I will have at least one during the course of the year. But this year, I had turkey breast on Thanksgiving and on Christmas. Even buying the turkey breast with the bone in, works just as well as a full turkey carcass.

Starting out, a little salt, poultry seasoning, parsley flakes, two bay leaves, cut carrots, onion, bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, water to cover the carcass and boil until the balance of the meat begins to fall off the bone. Reducing heat, I then let it simmer until the bone marrow  becomes liquid enough to cook out. The last 15 minutes I put in the noodles and cook until the noodles are tender but not soggy. Then, it's time for the chef to sample the goods!  It's really easy to do. Tomorrow, I'll have a bowl for lunch, With the weather being a cold rain tomorrow all day, most likely, I'll have another bowl for supper. Then, it's put into little one-serving freezer tubs and moved to the freezer.

In fact, I do that with home made chili and home made chicken and dumplings (yes, I make my own dumplings). By planning ahead a bit, you can combine thing and/or use them with other things. When I make chili mac, all I have to do is cook the macaroni, defrost the chili and combine and heat for three minutes. Voila! I used some of the sliced turkey for sandwiches and then I take my last chicken and dumplings and add some turkey meat that I had already sliced and have one heck of a good turkey and dumpling dinner one evening.  My time in the kitchen is cut to almost nothing and I still have good healthy meals. I steam frozen broccoli florets in 5 minutes. Pan fry carrots. French cut green beans can even come from the can if you buy one of the national brands such as Del Monte or Green Giant that they make for private label use for one of the family of  Kroger brands or Albertson's or Winco's.

Part Two Pictures

A song bird perched over the tall grasses looking for a meal, no doubt.

The Topography of the area rises a little more than a hundred feet. The tall prairie grasses are now showing the full color difference in the red tops vs the brown tops.

A young photographer with his subject.  Normally, I would not comment but I watched the process of a future competitor and found it interesting that the best shot was missed when the photographer was looking at his view finder.  Time is the best teacher overall in this art.

 I use this image in an editorial capacity and as an illustration. Therefore it will be blurred on any enlargement.   

Oh! What a Difference A Day Makes Times Two.

Within the last three days, the lake has gone from visible sand bars in places to flooding well into the parking lots along the Eastern side to receding waters. That does not mean much to some, I know, but the drastic change does have an effect on the wildlife and the visitors and the regulars; all in varied levels of stress and anxiety.

The most drastic change was in the world of the pelicans. They have a little island and logs that that they like to sun upon. The island, is actual land. It is also away from predators like coyotes and bob cats. Normal life when those factors are in place. Not so normal when they are not.

Along comes a 2.5 inch rainfall with some areas north getting upwards of 3 to 4 inches as a Pacific Cold Front moved in day before yesterday. Yesterday, the lake levels were up several feet as a result of the watershed that is collected in White Rock Creek  and the Dixon Branch, among others. That water passes into White Rock Lake and over the dam, down the two spillways and back into the White Rock Creek south of Garland Road, aka State Route 78. From there it flows back into the Trinity River on Loop 12 south of the Trinity River Audubon Center and the new Trinity Forest Golf Course on the renamed Great Trinity Forest Parkway. And from there, of course, then into the Gulf of Mexico.

The day after words, that is to say, yesterday, the pelicans were not happy campers. Even the geese were in flogging arguments in the water because the logs were all gone. Floated toward the dam, if not over it. Staying away from the dam when everyone wants to see the water rushing down the spillways is always a smart move. So, with that said, no, I have been to the dam to walk eitherside.

The island was under water. The pelicans were hanging out on the shoreline between the lake and East Lawther in front of Sunset Bay. With the holiday bowl games in town, visitors were out in force with their phone cameras. The pelicans just kept moving until they could sit still for a while. Being displaced is as bad for them as it is for humans displaced from storm damage, fire or what ever else.

Today, the island was back and the pelicans were happy to be upon it once again. However, since Christmas Day, I have not seen a single hawk of red, either shoulder or tail, an owl, an eagle or the osprey again since the awesome citing on Christmas Day of him in flight riding the thermals over the marina nearest the Culture Bathhouse. I've looked at all the known spots and a couple of spots where I have found one pair hanging out in a "new" area. Nothing. And, unusual, also.

The weather is not going to be good the next two days. It is going to be down right cold and strong winds will make the misery index even higher for North Texas. Cold rain will also return on Sunday with the thick low hanging clouds arriving over night tonight and tomorrow.
Here are some shots that will require a second post because I can only post three images at a time. Some crazy thing like band width.
Click on any of the images to open the enlarger. Then use the enlarger thumbnails to select the image you want to enlarge.  There will be another post to follow this one with just images from the day. 

For the water line to be this far into the parking lot you can see the two docks that are about 4-5 feet to be level with the ground. That's how much water rose from the run off in the flash flooding the night before.

Another view of the trash and wood from the high winds that fell and were picked up by the water being carried into the lot.

Ecology is not a cut and dried thing. There are many, many variables that all interchange like a big puzzle, with many picture to replace the puzzle just put together, so to speak.

Oops! I Did The Unthinkable

Yesterday was a good day,  but the stress of some pretty nasty storms overloaded the synapse cycles and with the promise of  today being a great day of sunshine and 64 degrees after the storms, I went to bed with the notions that I would spend the day out in the sunshine shooting. And--- I almost did!

When I got up this morning and was making coffee, the sky was covered in stratus clouds, but as stratus clouds do generally, they burn off quickly as the sun comes up. After breakfast and a quick check on the systems to make sure that they were all running and secure, I filled my coffee cup, packed a little snack and made a quick run to the bank. I walked in and the regular teller was on the right and the strangest thing---a woman was behind one of the teller stations plus the loan officer that had greeted me. Remembering that month before last, when I made my regular stop, there was no teller. Period. This branch just can't seem to get their act together. What 's even worse is that it's not even my bank. I pay a bill that is my only check that I  still write each month for a service. Anyway, the woman ask if she could help me and said, " you are a teller, too?" She replied that she was and I stepped up to the window. She then ask, " How's your day going?'' I explained to her that ,"it started out a bit slow but that was okay. Other than that, I'm stunned. Two tellers working," I said; She said that she hoped to continue the practice going forward. She knew what I meant.

Leaving the bank I headed to the lake. When I parked, I saw a dear friend and she was shooting away. I had noticed the low areas were filled with water but once parked, it was clear to see that the water had risen several feet from when I was there yesterday. I pulled my camera out of the bag and headed over to say hello to my friend and shot a half dozen images, checked my settings and was ready to find some good material  to shoot for the end of the year. Then, the impossible happened...I got the message that my battery pack was empty! I had forgot to put the battery on charge after yesterdays outing.  Might as well stick a fork in me cause this turkey was done for the day!.

Here is a couple of shots that show the high water marks from last nights 2.5 inches of rain. Some areas got 4-inches, while others got 3" totals and it all watersheds into White Rock Creek and then into the lake.

The water covered all the sandbars and even the pelican's island. They were up on the mainland and all the visitors that were in town for the Boston College game that got called  because of lightening and the Notre Dame people are hear for the New Years Day game  were stressing the pelicans out a bit as the visitors were all amazed to find pelican in Texas. 

Yesterday, the water level was a few feet below the underside of the dock. Obviously, it had gone over the dock by more than a few inches during the night.

The water on the side was not there yesterday. The marsh area as bone dry.

Generally, the pelicans don't stress out like they were today.

edited 20:37 hours for typos.

Got Out Before The Big Storms Brewed

Although it was bleak again, today, The big storms  are headed this way, three years to the day after the tragic 12- tornadoes on 26th  December 2015 in Garland, Rockwall and Rowlett, took many lives and destroyed property that is still recovering from 2015. It is an awful reminder of nature's power.

By late afternoon, some very bad timming  thunderstorms and lightening were messing up the flight paths into and out of DFW. The Boise State and Boston College Football game at the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park was called at the end of the first quarter because of lightening. There has never been a college bowl game called for lightening until today. Heavy rain moved in across the Metroplex  by suppertime. The main squall line was still a couple of hours to the west and has produced a few funnel clouds, but the storms have also robbed the atmosphere of some of that energy and the storms winds and flash flooding for heavy rains remain the problem at the moment. The bow-echo line of the squall line is between Ft. Worth and Dallas  now and it's moving at 50 MPH.Once it passes, the weather will be clearing and tomorrow will be a super day of sunshine and 64-degree (F) 19-degree (C) weather.

The bow-echo line looks fairly impressive on radar. Bow-echos are best described to look like a bow and arrow without the arrow. They produce strong winds and if there is still some energy in the unstable state, tornadoes could spin up out of that, I believe. Encore, the repair arm and delivery network for our electricity has numerous power outages reported. I'm hoping that we don't have that to contend with.

So, like I stated a couple of days ago, this year gets a 1.2 rating for all the off-the-wall stuff that has happened. I'm hopeful that the rest of the year will stabilize as 2018 draws to an end and 2019 starts out the gate running without any problems.

Today while out shooting, I saw two things that I have never seen before. One, a squirrel was hanging
from his rear legs and grabbing berries that were prime and not that average run of the mill stock. It' was actually kind of odd I've seen them stand on a limb and reach up into other branches, but never hang from one reach below. Then, without warning, some geese got into a dispute and I saw a relay flogging of a goose that must have been way out of line in some way. Never want to be in a situation for a goose or two to go after you. And, yesterday, under the eyes of the Garland Police, I was looking for birds along the chalk cliffs and two pit bulls came barking out of the under brush. Luckily, I had my walking stick with me and they returned into the underbrush. But it's a reminder that the Park Ranger was telling me about when I saw the one coyote that seemed a bit aggressive. I had ask him about what would you do? He mentioned to carry a walking stick and if possible go with friend The coyote that was attacking runners in Frisco was caught and is being tested. Sadly, I think I remember that the only way to test for rabies is to put down the animal.  So, yes, it has been a strange year right up to the very end, it seems. 

Hanging from his hind legs

Dispute Among Geese

A relay flogging.

To All Our Friends As We Celebrate Christmas

Regardless of your religious beliefs, we wish you all the happiest of days. We celebrate Christmas and we share that happiness and wish for peace on earth with each of you this day in our religious calendar.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

This Year Will Only Get a 1.2

The day started out swell. It grew to be excellent by noon. By 1:30 the day had tanked worse than the stock market. I have had worse day overall, but this one hit at the core of my sanity. In fact, with all the positives, it is like nothing that I have ever experienced.

Mom would often tell me that one of her greatest fears was that she would be left at the bus  stop. In some odd way, I thought that I understood what she was saying. Once in a while I would ask her if she felt that she had been left at the bus stop. She's twist that smile into a comical smirk and nothing more would be said. On day I ask her where she got that bus stop notion. "Don't you remember the little old lady at DFW on the tram," she said. I did. That poor little old lady.  The door would open and shut  and she would go on the loop again. We were standing there at the tram talking and watched her come back around three or four more times.

Well, this week, I had tried not to think about it that much, but I felt like that little old lady stuck on the tram's loop. It's been one thing and then another for almost half the year. Just when I was able to crawl out of the misery pool, I would slide back in to it once again. I'm thinking that I have had that cycle of things just going wrong before and it would pass in time. In fact, this afternoon, I thought I had come out of the mire. I was on the way home at the time and had stopped at a spot where there is a short nature walk down through a utility easement. A new trail at the lake is using it to expand the trail system. It is part of the old T  & P railroad easement. T & P is the local version of the original name of the  Texas and Pacific Railroad line.Their trust is almost all set up to dispose of their property. The only thing is---they have made so much money, the trust just keeps growing and growing. That's a nice gig if you can get one like that.

When the gate was closed, access would have been more than I was willing to do at the time. As it turned out, its just as well. Something caused me to look at my lens. At first it looked like an eye brow or a hair had somehow gotten into the lens. I could have been so lucky had that been the case. It was much worse. The primary lens that I shoot with had developed a crack from one side to the other. The short lens that I have just does not work for what I do. I have two other lens in my Nikon bag--one a telephoto that would be better than the one that developed the crack, but they don't fit on the other make of camera body. And---the reason I can not use the Nikon is because the body has a mechanical issue that Nikon has done nothing but give me the run around for two years. In plain English...I am cooked. I am done. Giving up is just not in my vocabulary. So, it is back to the drawing board and pray tell, I could not even guess when this problem will become normal again from this moment in time. Come on 2019!

The Winter Moon is called a Cold Moon. That's the full moon of the winter solstice, which was yesterday. One of the last shots that I made with the lens before it cracked was of the Cold Moon setting this morning. Little did I know how Cold it would be, because moon cycles are a good thing for me, usually.

The Cold Moon Setting This Morning 23 Dec 2018.

First Full Day Of Winter and a Cold Moon

The cold moon rising on the first full day of winter these final days of 2018 is really nice to watch, photograph and ponder the real meaning of life itself. Granted, it would be nice to be out in the vastness of Montana (and freezing, I might add) where the night sky is dark and lit only by that big cold moon of the winter solstice and reflecting off the snow. My Celtic ancestors would be out celebrating, I bet.

It was right on one o'clock when I hit the doorknob and headed out. A little weak cold front was just crossing with high cloudiness but still sunshine dimmed. As the front passed, the wind shifted and the skies cleared making it a nearly 70 degree day. By the time that I headed in, the air had chilled enough that it was a bit uncomfortable  to have the window all the way down. It is forecast to be ten degrees less tomorrow, but still nice before the next kink in the weather patterns turns us to that January cold. I'm shivering already from  my already used electricity and there are still  5 more days in the billing cycle. Rates have really gone up--not the usage. I turn on the same light every night and used the same settings for the microwave. In short, I am a creature of habit and I hate giving anymore to TXU than I have to each month.

Fall colors still holding on but the rain should end it for sure.

Wind Favors Areas. Remember that next summer and sit were there are leaves at the ball game. You should get a breeze there to help keep you cool. 

The little red squirrel has his seat picked out already for next season. I had to tell him that this season was already done. He left soon afterward.

Winter Solstice, Relaxed Winds and More

Today was an absolutely beautiful day unlike any of yesterdays rawness. The widow makers were down everywhere and some could have really done some damage had people been out and about unaware. One near the White Rock Boat Club Marina was about 10-inches round and some 15 feet long. The bigger one lay lodged on a branch about 20 feet above ground. Bikers stop along there and people walking their dogs do also. It could have caused more than just a headache had it fallen as someone was coming by. Usually, I report them to the Parks Maintenance guys and they are very good about getting on it and getting them taken care of usually within an hour or two.

Also, today, at the dam, I made a discovery of a new pair of red shouldered hawks. I was on the trail up to the dam and sat down on the new bench. While there watching the seagulls,out of the corner of my eye, I caught a sweeping wind between the two fences between the trail and the spillway. Later, as I came down the trail back to the parking lot, I spotted the big male sitting in a tree at the base of the main spillway at the channel. There again, the low angle of the sun was lighting him up like a candle but not in a good way. Another photographer came alone and even he was having problems getting a good shot with a 600 mm lens.  But, it's another area to watch for nesting  and I have seen this guy sitting on top of a telephone pole as the roadway comes up from the water filtration building to W. Lawther. Keeping in mind also, that from there to where I saw him today is a straight line across the old fish hatchery  to the spillway. That gives me cause to think that it is the same bird most likely. Also, the red shouldered that once sat on the telephone pole on the South side of Lawther at the T&P railroad bridge, that is now being rebuild as a bike trail, is also in line with where I have seen him at the turnoff down to the water filtration building. Drawing a straight line from point A to point B to point C would connect all three sightings. All, within about a half mile distance,too.

A widow maker that might hurt more than a headache.

The red shouldered at the dam

Just in time for a little Celtic Celebration of the Winter Solstice

45 MPH Winds Yesterday. And Widow Makers Were Falling Left and Right.

Weather was a key factor yesterday, but I was still able to get out and around. It's not unusual but somewhat rare to see white caps this size on the lake. Some of these were hitting 1-2 feet in height. Down at the dam the white caps were crashing over the dam's spillway in waves oscillating from north to south.

The herons were having a bad feather day some birds were having a bit of a problem keeping their balance on utility wires. Couple that with the fast approaching Winter Solstice  due tomorrow and the lake took on a look seldom seen. Maybe the Celts were on to something  besides the Solstice just marking the agriculture cycles. You think? The earth's axis is tilted back as far as it can go during the Solstice. Ever wonder what it would be like if it got stuck and could not rotate back to normal seasons for us?

45 MPH Winds creating White Caps on the lake.

A bad feather day in the high winds.

The day before the Winter Solstice. Look at the low angle of light for mid afternoon.

Pair Are Preparing To Nest at White Rock

This is  Our White Rock Male

Another view of the White Rock Male. The female is up on the hill in a tree. 

Later, the pair flew off into the Big Thicket. The trees in the area between the owls tree and the Red Shoulder's nest of years past has suffered some major damage from storms, disease, old age and loose soil from all the rains. But, this pair seem to be okay with that and have been seen in almost the exact location the past three days.

In other bird news. The bald eagles in Northeast Florida were attack by a wild adult eagle. The famous pair of Romeo and Juliet  has caused a stir. Romeo has been on the nest for two days straight while Juliet, who suffered serious damage and injury left the nest. According to reports on the cam site, an unknown female took over the two eggs that are pipping. Romeo was reported to have fought off the attacker by himself. It's nature and things like that happen. It's upsetting but man cannot intervene.

This Time of Year I'm Reminded of Two Things....

The first thing that I am reminded of is don't fall for the pan handler's game. The second thing that I am reminded  of  is don't fall for the pan handler's game because of two things.

Thing Number One.


 Several years ago, maybe ten---twelve years ago--- I was in line at a Sam's Club membership desk. The lady in front of me was adding someone to her business account. The business---panhandlers unlimited. I had been passing this woman at a major intersection on the way to work for a few years prior. When it came time to pay for her membership renewal after adding another person, she pulled out of her bag several envelopes all stuffed with $1bills; $5bills; $10bills;$20 bills. And yes, she had envelopes stuffed with $50 and $100 bills, too. When she turned around an saw me behind her in line, she said something to the effect that she guessed that the cat was out of the bag....chuckling as she walked away

Thing Number Two.


Panhandlers are not always doing what they appear to be doing....panhandling. They can be and sometimes are  undercover cops.  They have been and continue to be crooks scoping out what  you have in your car. Have you ever looked in your rear view mirror in your anxious moments to get away from that 'guilt trip' they cause pulling on your heart string? Don't be surprised to see them giving hand signals to a car along side yours. You might have already been had before you get to your favorite store's parking lot or garage.

And while I am thinking about it, I haven't heard the news cast this year reminding people not to support the panhandlers because of a city ordinance on panhandlers. Did they win their lawsuit, maybe?

I see them all over the city working street medians. Where the city has done away with medians and made double left-turn lanes, the pan handlers became confined to the side walks, not the middle of traffic lanes. It seems to be working much better than an ordinance, anyway. Traffic Engineering 1. City Council Ordinance Writers 0.


I am also reminded of  a friend who was a college professor. He always carried a pocket of 20- one dollar bills. He gave each panhandler a $1 bill. He had a good heart and a good soul. He is also six feet under and the panhandlers he gave the $1 bills to are still standing on the corner today.

I've also watched panhandlers over the years with their little game. You see them coming back from the local C-store or a Mc Donald's with a big plastic cup of soda pop. They set it down behind a sign post, walk to their "post", wait for the lights to cycle one full turn then start down the next line of cars with a limp. Funny thing. Walking back from the C-store, that limp wasn't there.

And, back to the woman with the Sam's Club Business Membership. She  later revealed that her take on a daily basis was a little over $500. Of course, she had a prime spot. Not all intersections are the same for revenue. Intersections that are split  by interstate highways even have "workers". It is their job to stand there all day. How do they report their earnings, I wonder.

 What to do

Each and every one of us have a tender heart. Even the hardened hearts soften this time of year at lease some. The best and the most good comes from the agencies that know how to help those who need help. The Salvation Army's Red Kettles or their cost per meal donations. United Way Campaign  donations can be made through your work.

And Remember what J.P.Morgan said,"  The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are." 


 Some of those panhandlers got somewhere ten years ago. They wave at you each morning and afternoon. Did you decide to state where you are?

 The red shoulder was hanging out at the same tree and location yesterday. That was where he was the day before. The only difference is that his mate, arrived and whizzed right past him. The look afterwards that he had was somewhat comical.I've seen people do the same twist in the neck.

Business as usual overlooking the territory

Check out the neck position after the mate flies by

The mate is in the territory. They are already looking for a nesting sight. Now is the time of year when you have to follow their lead to see where they  settle if you want good images of my baby red shoulders when they branch later on in the season.

On The Last Day of Fall, A Red Shoulder Gave To Me

a chance to get some very unique images of textures. It was on my return trip out that I got to see him fly low and over the the tops of the tall prairie grasses. He was hunting, I am  sure, but do not  know what it was the he was hunting. A mouse, a rabbit, maybe? But, while the images are a bit darker of his face, the feather features and the backgrounds were good for posters.

I was on the DFW HD cam this morning  watching the sunrise. The thought hit me that the sunrise was more like a sunrise on some distant planet---it was really weird in a way, although pretty as could be. Then, this afternoon while I came up on the Red Shoulder sitting on a branch over the road just as pretty as  you please, I shot from the car, then parked and shot from the car again and then got out, walked under the tree, around the tree, crossed the road and shot back at this amazing bird. It was like, okay, I see you and I see your camera and its the holidays and go ahead an take some pictures. I have been seeing him more and more lately. He has also allowed more camera time without flying off. But, as I came back down the run, he took off on that flight over the tall grasses mentioned above. So, I walked down to the edge of the lake and was looking at the reflection in the water. It caused me to look up at the sky and the clouds were doing that strange kind of light as I had seen this morning on the DFW webcam.It's really weird to see how they have been so different and yet, that has duplicated it again within the same day. Strange. I observe a lot of things and have  for way to many years. These are somehow different and more strange. It's just hard to explain. I wish that I had gotten a screen shot of the sky this morning at DFW. Then, I could have compared the two in likeness.

Imagine the middle row of clouds being sunrise yellow and you have the DFW image this morning at sunrise.

Red Shoulder not phased that I was under the tree clicking away.

Cute! I was at a stop sign and saw this. It was just to good to pass up. Creative design and placement without doubt. It's another Red Shoulder, I do believe.

The Search for the Big Live Tree in Downtown Dallas

The mission today was to make the downtown route and see if I could find a big, real Christmas tree. Ft Worth has a beautiful Michigan 45-60 foot downtown in Sun Dance Square and this year is not the first year that a Michigan tree graced Ft. Worth's downtown.

Starting at the center of the universe--that is to say, North Park Center, I made my way down Greenville Avenue through all three sections. Businesses had decorated pretty well. In fact, they looked nice. At Ross avenue in Lower Greenville, I made my way to Washington and cut across into Deep Ellum. While Deep Ellum businesses had decorated-- for the larger crowds that now come to Deep Ellum by day, it was not enough, I though.  It was on to  Commerce Street into downtown to see what I could find. In fact, I didn't even notice Nieman's  decoration if they had any this year.

Much to my surprise, there were a lot of artificial trees that looked the same. Klyde Warren Park, The Plaza in front of City Hall and the Plaza at the Ron Kirk Bridge Deck Park. It was pretty much ditto, ditto, ditto. Except when you got to  Main and one of the cross streets in from of Nieman Marcus where the odd, but comical, but half way interesting  faux tree made of old car tail lights brought traffic into a gawking mode. Imagine that.It was rather pretty in a Holiday Spirit kind of way don't you see.

Looks like a 59 Chevy to me.I remember those tail lights being covered in canvas on the dealer's show room floors. They did things like that back in the day.

Pretty much like city hall and Kylde Warren, this is in the Plaza at Ron Kirk Bridge Deck Park.

The top was nice at Ron Kirk. Didn't get a shot of the Statler's live one and/or where it came from.

After making the block several times I had to make a quick shot from traffic.  The valet services were packed with the holiday brunch crowd fresh out of church services. The image came out pretty well.

When I got to Main Street Park, the distraction was so intense that I actually forgot to look to see if Main Street had a tree. The distraction was across the street on the south side. Low and Behold! there was a good 40 foot live tree. Undecorated, but that didn't matter. The tree was beautiful and I don't even know where it came from.  And I should have guessed that such a tree would be at this particular business. It left Dallas for some 20 years or so then came back into their original building that had been upgraded and still holds tons of history for personalities from an "A" list of Hollywood's "A" listers. The business: The Statler Hotel, of course. I would not have expected anything less. And---once again---they are at the top of the list of class in the Hotel business. They remind me of the old Orrington Hotel in Evanston, Illinois or the Drake in downtown Chicago. The Statler remembered how the little things make all the difference in the world.

Christmas Requires A Lot Of Patience.

As the old adage goes---"over time, photography trains the eye".  An that it does. Yesterday I started this post and if ever there was a writers block, it was during the time I sat at the desk staring at the white page and nothing was flowing in or out of this skull! After a bit, I quickly realized that this was not getting anything done, nor was it healthy for the aging eyes that have been keen and sharp as an eagle for years, but now seem to be showing me it's my turn to have Lazik corrective surgery---maybe! Not so quick. That's another story that is just  in development stages because of the FOX weather lady that took her own life.

So, after taking my time to do my Saturday routine on the computer--Some things I do during the week can't be done on weekends. Gee-- there's another story  More on that later. Where was all this stuff yesterday?

Long story short, I'm walking out the door with 5 celery sticks cut to 5-inch lengths to snack on. No calories---high on fiber--and yum yum full of nutrients! What's wrong with this picture?  Nothing!!

So, I head out and less than a mile, I get a text--Walgreen's has my auto refill prescriptions done. Since I'm in the [do nut] hole--that means they are all free!! But I had just passed Walgreen's and decided to keep going because I could hit it on the way home. The intent was to go to Grapevine for the Christmas Decorations and to check on the  TEX rail train that has been here for just over a year now and is undergoing test runs on the track since the new Terminal B train station will open shortly after the beginning of the year at DFW's TerminalB. DFW is beginning to boom again.

 Frankly, with the dirt that Amazon did on Dallas, I was glad to hear that they were going to Alliance Airport (Ross Perot's Son's little toy) so now the cargo can grow even more without the Jeff factor to worry about. It really was a dirty deal and I am sure that there was the other Paul Harvey side of the story that will come out later in time, but don't string along a group of people trying really hard to make Dallas keep pace on top of the catch up they are still experiencing from the DFW blossoming. Non-the less- with Amazon HQ2 resulting from the acquisition on Whole Foods and with the largest Whole Foods store in the nation sitting at North Park Center and US75 Central Expressway, when they passed up Dallas for Brooklyn then dill out a tidbit to Nashville, then a bigger tidbit to Austin and make it sound like they were sorry to have passed up on Dallas, they announced that they were putting their air hub at Alliance, I knew then that they could care less about Whole Foods. Wait a minute---it's really a basic and simple thing. I've seen a couple of blunders in this mess already and like I have always believed---rejection is God's form of protection. Thank you Lord!

Continuing now on the basic thought---I was cruising down Belt Line Road on the back door way to DFW and Grapevine when I spot this bright and shinning new water park! Where did that come from? So, I had to go on down Belt Line until I could do a left turn and come back . It hit me just as I reached Hillcrest that this was the new Aquatic Center at Fretz Park. The city has been spending a lot of money on things that count. Ten years ago, Fretz Park was a post sign on the corner of Hillcrest and Belt Line that a block down Beltline became the back to Engine House 56. Since then, a new public library has filled in that space and offset on the back of the remaining is a new Recreation Center and now the Fretz Park Aquatic Center which is an amazing asset for the neighborhood.  I was so stunned, that I parked and walked all the way around the Aquatic Center shooting from all the angles. The one at Tennison didn't open on time and this one didn't make it either, but come the season of  2019--look out! these things will be packed!! I don't know how many more were under construction but there might have been a couple more. I'll stay on top of that and see what I can find out. So, the entire block is now ball diamonds, tennis courts, rec center, fire station, library and aquatic center. Patience does pay off!! That a long way from a post sign at the corner 10 years ago.

So---here is the Christmas Present from the City of Dallas to the people of the Fretz Park area Community.

Merry Christmas and may 2019 be a wet slide to ride!!! And people. Please read the signs....

The Grey Slide

The Red Slide

The lockers and bath house and  cabanas. The wading pool is behind the end of it seen here in the foreground. The water was sparking and I'm thinking that parks like Cedar Point on Lake Erie would be lowered with anti freeze floats and chemical to keep the water from freezing. That's one more reason to be in Texas. It's 57 today and 61 tomorrow and the next 10 days looks about the same with no major storms in sight!!!!. Merry Christmas to new Bar-B-Ques found on the patio's with a big red bow!!!.

Read the Signs---Please!!! It may not be a biggie for you, but to others it is.

NB---

To correct Engine House 57 to 56 at Fretz Park and to also correct a typo for language meaning.  12/15/19:22 hours

Poaching at White Rock?

The blue is a human.

Here is the white sack or net

The red cap is also human and seems to carry a bag and is often seen bending over and picking up something.

Three of us witnessed something today that was a bit disturbing. Two--maybe more--people were out on the island at Sunset Bay and they had an item that could have been a white pillowcase--full of something--or a fine mesh net that looked like it was stretched over a pole made from a tree branch. Several times, as they went from the main land mass to the island and around toward Dreyfuss and back in the area behind the stone picnic tables. As, they did, the mallards and cormorants took off en mass in a "flight" attempt to get away from danger. Nearly an hour, this went on as the three, then two of us continued to watch.

The Park Ranger was seen in the park on the West Lawther side but needed to be at Sunset Bay for sure. It was heard mentioned that even if they were picking wild onions, they had no business being on the island. While people do go back there on Kayaks, they too, really shouldn't be there because it is more of a refuge for the migrating birds and when they don't have that refuge, they will leave and go else where. Even birds talk to other birds and word will spread. One day, there will not be any migrating birds at the Rock.

There Is Art Everywhere---

and not only is it in nature, but also in the eye of the beholder.

This afternoon, I put my unloving attitude toward snakes away and took a deep walk into a forest. Although it was overcast and a 13 Knot wind was humming on  wires and etc., the temperature was at  63-degrees F. While tomorrow will be a different story, at least today was suitable for that walk into the woods. I saw birds that I had not seen in a long time. I heard sounding that I have not heard in a long time. The crunching of leaves and branches beneath my feet were really sounds of my childhood. Some of those sound I had not heard in all those years gone by.

The first thing that I noticed was the amount of wood that had fallen and nature was reclaiming in the way that things are intended. Big tree trunks were laid out on the forest floor, sometimes covered with much later fallen branches and limbs. I could not believe that so much wood was being consumed by nature. Yet, when you think about the forest that our Native Americans roamed, they too, would have seen that scene and I wondered how many people will be born, grow up and die having never experienced that sight--that sound--that is so natural for the forest. Actually, it was an emotional experience that I need more of than I first thought. How many times have we all heard someone in a talk or presentation talking about getting in touch with nature?  Well, after today, God willing and my health holds, I plan to do just that again on a regular basis. But the things that  I saw that I have not seen in years brought more hope and renewed faith that I have not experienced in a long time.

The trees are not totally in focus. It seems that the dial gets turned dodging this and that and frankly, I forget to check the focal....that's because I used the auto focus way to long and I made a promise to myself to do more manual focus work this coming year.  

The bird's nest is made up of sting, fishing line, and other materials not so much of nature, but certainly a work of art by a little oriel. Be sure to put this on 100 percent. The detail is amazing.

Here the reclaiming of nature into nature. It's not composting, but it makes new soil none the less.

There were places where the vines were so thick and so much wood lay on the forest floor that it was hard to move one way or another. That's where you need equipment that I didn't have with me. One guy, years ago told me that when he heads into the forest he always puts a pair of pruning shears in his bag. It works great on vines and  small underbrush. I'm going to have to pay a visit to ACE before the next trip in.

Year End Reflection #1 Happy Feet

It's that time of year again and I'm always going to have something to reflect on. This looking glass reflected from the first of the year right up to about an hour before posting this one.

One of the Financial Pundits published an article on a hot topic with me. Kroger's!  I'm still peeved at K-Roger for insulting senior citizens the way that they did. And---I'm peeved at them for poor marketing and lying to customers. I've been shopping at Kroger's since I was 5 years old. That's a long and loyal customer, but loyalty does not mean anything today. Nothing!

My core shopping, as a result of their insult has dropped from $1000 annual saving  to a meer $73.00 through yesterday, 10th of December. In the article, the Pundit came down hard on Kroger's CEO Rodney MC Mullen. In fact, he predicted that MC Mullen was taking Kroger's down the same lane as Sears traveled.  He actually was on point about how Kroger was missing the message and that the share holders were a bit more than just  nervous about the future.

The big insult was that they announced about this time last year that they would be "Retiring"  their senior citizens program. Then, they mentioned that they were going to lower prices. Well, being an old marketing guy and also a very savvy shopper that knows prices on items not at just Kroger's but at the Wall, Aldis, Albertsons--including their purchase of Tom Thumb from Safeway and Randall's and others. I'm here to tell you that Kroger's prices have not decreased. In fact, they have increased. Now, I know why they wrapped their front doors like an ad on the side of the bus. Some, prices were substantially more. My Kroger's got the new remodel (again--they just had one a couple of years ago) but this one flipped the store upside down and rearranged the out side isles, leaving the core isle of groceries basically untouched except a bit squeezed where the outside isles were widened. The only wall that didn't get touched was the meat department where they sell the out of the ball park Nolan Ryan Beef!! Sorry for the pun. Even Nolan got out of Dallas and went back to Houston!

Every year, I buy myself a pair of new house slippers at Kroger's. That is, until this year. The price this year jumped $4.00 over what I normally pay. I liked the slippers that they sold because they are snug and warm and last a full year Then, I buy a new pair and toss the old ones. Well, The K-Roger changed up the supplier like so many other things that they cut out and replaced with brands like Psst! or some dinky slap-in-the-face  brand that not only taste terrible but was not even that cheap. I tried it one time and dumped it quick, never to pick up another package on anything that had that Psst! name on it.

So, I was in Kroger's on Monday. I saw the slippers and went home disappointed on the style change and the price increase. I've tried the ones from the Wall and ended up taking a pair back because they fell apart so when Kroger's had my slippers, I was a happy camper! Until Monday, that is.

Today, when the weekly mailers came. Aldi's (My favorite place to buy groceries since K-Roger started sailing toward the drain) had my slippers. Get this!!! $6.99  I've been paying $10-12  at Kroger's. They go on sale tomorrow!! I will have happy feet this Christmas, after all!

So, the bottom line on this mirror is that the Money Boys are now saying what I have been saying all year about Kroger's. They are headed down the tubes if they don't stop insulting customers, raising prices, trying to do something that isn't working anywhere but at Amazon.

Three Weeks Until 2019!!