Things I Have Heard People Say

 Language is such an art, yet while some of mine is decaying, what I heard recently, whether it is scripted or not, seems to be even worse than my aging decaying language art skill. I keep a pad at the computer which is also close to my AM FM Receiver and TV. My desk is a solid oak pedestal architectural desk with three foot long file drawer and top drawer on the right side. My desk chair and computer sits right dab dead center at 3 feet either side. It has log books, image directories and added shelves and pigeon holes here and there. Yet, I know where everything is and can reach for it on either side.  

A commercial for underwear: The Butt Checkers. Sounds like another Steven King Novel.

                                                                              zoo notic

infections and injections

From a preacher in a visiting pulpit on a pod cast: "Mist in the pulpit is  fog in the congregation," Dr. Tony Evans

He's got socks older than me.

Send me the pillow you dream on. [no thanks]

From an episode of "Blue Bloods" at the infamous weekly meal for the family.: "sort that out and we'll talk about it."

A Qantas 747 jet. "Cheddar Believe It."

Erin Rogers, Green Bay Quarterback,:" My future is a glorious mystery."

Frank Zappa quote on facebook."  A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open."

         A "Bill Whitehead",reply to Frank Zappa." An open mind is really a mark of foolishness like an open mouth,"

I think I will ride with Frank Zappa on that one.

A Low Level Jet Overhead for all week for "everything"

 Yesterday was 68°F. The next five days will be 55ish  with chances of rain each day through Saturday. It  is mid-winter already under Meteorological winter (the months of December, January and February. unlike the astronomical seasons that begin with the earths circulation  around the sun by a specific date, which can change from the 20-22th . Three weeks isn't gonna make any big difference in the seasons so I enjoy the use of the December 1 to Feb 28-29 as winter. Meteorological spring is March, April, and May. Meteorological summer is June, July, and August. Meteorological fall is September, October, and November. it is just much easier than trying to remember the exact date of the current year. I don't carry my Farmer's Almanac around in my hip pocket like the farmers once did. And one of my grandfathers was a farmer. I have picket cotton on his farm as a 12-year old. My bag weighed in at 26 pounds. I remember that day after all those years as I remember walking the 5 miles into town from my grandfather's farm because I wanted to be independent and strong willed. Those were iconic moments growing up that I cherish to this day. My determination and will power were developed because my parents and grandparents were in harmony and were not helicopter-parents like so many today. Times are different today, I realize, but that's from a parents perspective. It's certainly not from the kids point of views. The difference is, my parents had trust in me, they taught me well, and I had a support group of peers and peers parents that had rules to abide by and uphold. 

Having said that, I see today some of the things that made a difference in my life growing up and I am so thankful to have had parents, grandparents and a church based upbringing.  So much of that is missing from today's youth.  I have been following the almost daily reports in the news of what I call the Golden Triangle years of well know kids, sports figures etc., in that 24-25-26 year range. Just another one today with Harry Brant, son of super model Stephanie Seymour and Billionaire Peter Brant. It was reported that he died from an overdose. He had been a model for Italian Vogue and had started a cosmetic line with his brother. He had also worked for his father's "interview" business as a writer. In other words, he had the world by the tail. Any loss of life is painful. I lost a son at 27 who had done everything by the book and right every step of the way. That pain grows, it doesn't lessen. It's just dulled a bit as time passes, but never goes away.

Of late, I have been paying keen attention of weather systems. The typical January Arctic Chill just hasn't been around so far this year. Like I mentioned earlier, we were 68°F yesterday. Our average is 55. But, today, the daily average high's officially change as the sun moves slowly northward again.  What I am saying is that I have been watching the wind patterns this year more than normal. My house is only cold when we get a Northwest Wind. I have  been considering having a storm door installed. One, I can  keep the door open in our lovely Springs and Falls and cut down on the electricity to run my heat bills during December and January. I've got an on-going battle going on with TXU Energy anyway. This year when it has gotten a bit chilly inside, instead of kicking up the heat a degree or two, I put on an extra light weight jacket and turn the knob down a degree, not up. Works well for me! I love reading the notes on my energy dashboard where TXU says: "Congratulations! your energy use for January is 39% less that other homes like your. Meteorological spring is March, April, and May. Meteorological summer is June, July, and August. Meteorological fall is September, October, and November.s." It puts a smile on my face.Call me a tree hugging nature lover, or an energy neutral person, I don't mind. I never have minded doing work one. What I do mind is having to do work twice because of someone else that didn't do their job correctly the first time. Hey Walmart---answer your phones!! You cost me my spot in delivery yesterday!

March 1 begins Meteorological  Spring and I have seen green buds on the trees open by that date. Which is right on target. In the Great Lakes, I could always count on seeing those buds and red buds flowering by income tax day, April 15th. That's 45 days to travel 1200 miles northward. Mother nature is a great calculator. So based on her perfection, I have already been on a bud discovery mission to find areas of the woodlands that have more than normal swollen buds just waiting for that first day of 70-75°F days to pop open those buds into greenery and flowers by March 1. It is closer than we think. One must observe and note their observations to be fully in tune with nature. Just as the colors in leaves in the fall in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan move south 20 miles per day, in the springtime, it works exactly the same going the other way south to north. 

So, tomorrow, I guess that I can watch the shindig going on at the Capital. It will be one for the history books for sure. I like history. I've seen my share of it. From JFK's speech on the steps of the Capital when he said," Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You... " to Watching Oswald shot on live TV to men landing on the moon, the Civil Rights Movement, 911,the first African American President, Obama and much, much more  up to the events of tomorrow with the swearing in of the first African-Asian Vice President and woman. January 20, 1961 to January 20, 2021, an astonishing 60 years of time and hundreds of books written about it all. I would not have missed a minute!

Pull Up A Chair and Sit A Spell, I've got another story to tell.

 The best day of the week to be outside and spend a fair amount of time with my doctor. But, that was not the beginning, nor the end of this tale. It turned out to be the worse day that I have had riding the bus. Looking through the telescope of the rest of the day, pictures were excellent. But back to this tale. 

The night prior to my trip, I had spent on the computer planning the trip out so that I would have more time for photography than waiting for a bus or train. Armed with that information I went to bed and had a wonderful night of sleep. When I awoke, I hit the shower, dressed and checked my backpack to make sure it was in order, drank a cup of coffee and had an English Muffin but I grabbed the heavy coat. The temps were  in the upper 30s° F but were headed for the mid 60's. I took the garbage out and walked to the bus stop. I was a bit early by half and hour but I didn't want to miss this bus as the rest of the day relied on it. Not to be. First, the bus was 6 minutes late. Second, the driver, already being that late, flew past my stop as if he had a big teeth dog on his rear end. This was unbelievable. I have been noticing the running of red lights, had breaking and turns for a while, but that goes with the territory from time to time. This was not the time. If I had missed my doctors appointment, I would be charged as a no-show. Plus, it was darn chilly. With phone still in hand, I dialed DART for me and was glad to let the others throughout the system that had been flat out ignored to save the driver from getting a report because of his lateness ride on my back. It's one of those things that just compounds and compounds until someone puts a stop to it. (pardon that pun). 

Now, I pondered what to do next, take one of the next available buses that puts me farther from where I needed to be to catch my 360 to the doctors.Or, just cool the jets a minute and wait to see it the next would be on time ,or if I would have to wait the entire hour to get back on schedule. So, I waited. Along came the bus on the half-hour. I boarded, and  the very next stop the driver was flying through the intersection and slammed on the air breaks missing the bus shelter the length of the bus. But, he did pick up his passenger, not like his route fore runner that left me standing at my stop.

Now, catching the 360 would put me at the hospital and my doctor's office on time. Not by much, but on time. I had built in to that schedule my lunch at the taco place in the hospital atrium. I had previously enjoyed a great lunch there and I had planned that to be the same for my trip yesterday. I had also planned to walk down onto the White Rock Creek Trail both before and after my appointment for a discovery mission on spring buds. 

On seeing the doctor, the report was not as good as I had hoped.  While the past surgeries had been successful, because of the nature of them, My doctor had called in consultants into the OR rather than bringing me out of my deep sleep to ask permission for other procedures. That was the nature of the appointment yesterday. The complications and the complexity of the surgeries have not responded  totally as hoped for and the doctor after my exam and discussion, placed a call to the doctor that had been consulted during my operations. They are of two different specialties and work very well together. 

The second doctor called my doctor back and when he had described the situation to the doctor, the second doctor will set up an appointment and have me come there for a second follow up. They are going to work out a plan to put me back in perfect harmony again. So, upon leaving the doctor, I walked across the street, down the embankment to the trail and got my camera out. I needed to defog my brain at that point. After getting my near hour of shooting, I packed my camera and walked back up the embankment and crossed the street again to my stop. Along came my bus. I boarded, took my favorite seat and enjoyed the ride to the train station where I would catch my 463 bus home.

Pulling into the 360 stop position at the train station, down at the far end was my 463 waiting. I can't run, but I can walk pretty darn fast. Just when I was near 5 or 6 feet from the end of the bus, the driver closed the door and jack rabbited out on the side street. I had been waving to him, yelled a couple of "Hey" but by DART's on rules, once the bus leaves the stop they cannot take on passengers. I understand  that, but as I have seen before and saw again later that same day, drivers can pull the circle and come back around and pick up a passenger(s) from a late arriving bus or train. But, of course, this dude used that rule to his own advantage. That was the wrong button to push. Again with my phone in my hand, I did not hesitate to punch that speed dial for DART. And, yes, I filled another complaint on the 463 staff of drivers. DART can sort it out. They have cameras on the buses and at the rail stations and, that was the second time for the 463 this day (yesterday).

My pass that I had purchased before leaving the house was what DART calls their Mid Day pass. It cost more than the reduced Senior Rate for a Morning Pass or an Afternoon Pass. I usually take the Afternoon Pass because it runs from noon until 3 am the following day. The morning runs from 3 am through noon. So, I had to take the Mid day from 9:30 until 2:30 pass. My doctor's appointment was for 1:30 and any way I looked at it, I would need to buy a Senior Rate Afternoon Pass but that's okay too. I had expected that. So, the 571 pulls in and it goes to the Downtown Garland Rail and Transit Center. I could take a leisure ride there and catch the 463 coming back this way. A little father, A little longer, A little more money. But I felt good about that  for some reason, I was meant to be on that 571 that day. Then I looked at my digital ticket that had 20 minutes left and seemed to be stuck on 20 minutes. So, pulling out of the station, I noticed immediately, the movement had been slowed. It just felt better. It just felt right. I was interested at that point to observe this driver and along this route. Nothing that I had been experiencing on the 463 since the Schedule Changes on October 19th was on this route. Interesting, I thought. Not, Interesting. Something else was up. We finally get to the rail and transit center and low and behold, there sat the 463. I pull up my ticket and it says 20 minutes. I got off the 571 walked across the platform and stepped onto the 463. In some thought about the 20 minutes, even though I had paid more for the ticket than my Senior rate, this ticket was taking into account the problems created by the two 463 drivers during the day.

When the 463 pulled out of the station, there was no jerking, whirling or any of that. And, something else, the route to the old Baylor Scott and White Hospital and The new VA clinic and the Behavioral Unit that still functions, had been eliminated. I had seen a note on the web site but didn't read it because I wasn't going that way. But now the know why I did go that way, don't we? Now, not only is the situation interesting, but it is curiously much more interesting. Actually, the third bus, 360 prior to the 463 runaway, the enjoyable 571 and now the 463 again acting like a mature pup that would rather lay on the porch with his head in his paws than run and jump because he could. The entire trip was like the 571 and most noticeably to me if not others. Maybe the phone calls had done their job. I hope that someone else was helped during the day because of my experience. That's the point.

Yes, Virginia, it really does snow in Dallas

There is something topographical with where the earth formed around here from the Boot Heels of the Ozark Mountains, to the Ouachitas of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Mt. Magazine in central western Arkansas (2,753 ft (839.11 m) is the ranges highest point between the Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains.  More importantly, and from my Arkansas History classes in that ancient red book I can still visualize,"They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thrust Belt, one of the important orogenic belts of North America," (Arkansas Geological History).

Texas is more of a melting pot for weather systems where warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico mixes with the cold air of the north. The Jet Streams bring in the warm Pacific Air and tosses it on top of the cold air with the warm moist air below it. It's one of the reasons we have tornadoes the year round. Any month of the year can produce tornadoes. But, having said all that, it messes with our snow falls. We get few chances of snow, but when we do get them, its usually a wet slushy snow. And the lay of the land, the Jet Streams moving from north to south and the "westerly and southwest winds" pretty much steer the storms because of the upper air masses causing the area closer to the ground to be warmer and the snow melts just as soon as it hits the ground. We see snow on grasses areas, railings, cars and anything off the ground a bit. Now, I don't claim to be a weatherman by any means, but I do speak weather-ease and can hold my ground when I have to. But when I went to bed last night, I knew that when I got this morning there would be no snow, not even some wet pavement to be viewed. Right on! The weather service maps showed that the snow would be light here in the metroplex and that higher amounts of snow would be well to our south Imagine that! South of an experienced and certified snow shove boy. During the blizzard of 1978, I had a 14 foot drift in my driveway that took three days to clear. I also loaded the kids on a red plastic sled and pulled them down to the end of street that t-boned our own street to watch the snowmobiles racing on the Interstate. And I have seen 17 below zero F as well. I've had my share of big winter dumps of snow over the years. And I still love 'em!

 

 

Life Is Not Fair and Neither was it meant to be

 but there are those that think it should be. Personally, I take one day at a time, don't worry about the things I cannot control and upon re-entering my house, I always say, "Thank You, Lord for returning me home safely".

Now, you are already asking what brought that on? Well, let us begin with Life is Not Fair. Yesterday was a reminder of that tenant. It started out with a bus ride being off schedule then a train ride to SMU/Mockingbird Station. My intentions were to pickup the Blue Line to the White Rock Rail Station just below Flag Pole Hill at the northern end of White Rock Lake.The platform arrival clock said that the Blue Line would arrive in 2 minutes. What did arrive was a Blue Line coming in the opposite direction. Fine. No problem.. Then the strobe went off and the announcement of the next arriving train. Obviously, I did not hear the recording that said "Red Line". Funny thing. I had come into the station on the Red Line. I boarded, thinking I was on the Blue Line and when the announcement came, "this is the Red Line. Next Stop, Lovers Lane Station." "Well, that's not gonna work," I thought. So I got off at Lover's walked over to the 583 Bus and ask if the 583 would take me to a transfer point where I could catch a bus that worked the White Rock Lake Station. The driver didn't fully understand what I was asking, She could only tell me that the bus would take me to the Skillman/LBJ Station. Knowing that wasn't totally correct, I rode her bus to the Lake Highlands Rail Station at Walnut Hill Lane. Got off and caught the next Blue Line south again to the White Rock Rail Station. Where I had planned originally to go.

Now on firm terra firma  for walking and not just seated as I moved across it, I caught the Flag Pole Hill trail that goes alongside Northwest Highway's bridges that cross White Rock Creek. and then goes under Northwest Highway at Flag Pole Hill. Now, I'm officially at White Rock Lake. Albeit about a mile and a half from the actual lake. What I should have done was to cross the street and walk toward Mockingbird Lane from the rail station. Here, I could take the trail around the lake viewing the lake as I walked and come out where I ended up coming the opposite direction. From there, I began to notice that the sun was already past its Zenith and now it was a race to the next bus stop some miles away before sunset. 

I continued on West Lawther Drive (the road on the Marina's side and the Big Thicket Cottage) toward where West Lawther could be exited about the Cultural Bath House Center (still under construction since last summer). That is where the butterfly garden is cared for by the members of the Dallas Group of Master Gardeners that does the planting and upkeep of the garden. It's like a Garden Club but issues official Credentials as a certified gardener. I stood on the trail and watched a photographer out in the high grasses with a 600mm lens shooting a Mockingbird that hangs out in the same tree as the Cooper's Hawk. I have seen some  wicked air battles between those two in the past. (Going back a bit in this story see [refrain ahead].

[ refrain] Between where the trail goes behind the Big Thicket Cottage, and runs next to Buckner Loop 12 where I could cut off some miles, I go to step up on the trail and tripped, landing hard on the asphalt surface face down. My glasses scratched on the front nose piece and both lens have deep scratches across them. But, it also got my knee, where I have had two past deep scrapes in the last year prior to and after the hospital stays. I never had those kinds of scraped as a kid. I had to wait until I had my 7th decade of life. I was doing so well. After sitting there for a bit, I managed to get up dust myself off and continue walking the trail, as the path to Buckner has been cut off by large---very large-- boulders. Now, I'm back to where I had seen the photographer in this little lesson on Life's Fairness story. But, because I have a very good understanding of the ins and outs, of trails and the offsets of some beautiful homes, I also know the roads don't go like one would think that they did, direction wise. So, in knowing  where it would come out and would also cut down on the footsteps getting to Buckner,  my two donkeys that I would always stop and wave at when I drove the lake, I bid them bye with a wave to them both. Finally, I am at Buckner and begin to walk in the bike lane toward Garland Road. I knew there was a bus shelter at White Rock Lake Hospital, although the Customer Service Rep that I had called while at the Mockingbird Bridge had told me that there was no service along Buckner.  I had not walked more than three or four tenths of a mile when the 475 going toward Flag Pole Hill zipped past me. Now, I was even more determined to keep walking toward that bus shelter at Poppy and Buckner. Upton finally arriving, the sun was down below the tree line already. Temperatures were dropping and while I had dressed in layers before heading out, I could have used that extra layer that I had tossed across the back of my desk chain before leaving the house.

Along came the bus. I ask the driver which way he would turn on Garland or if he would go straight. I was stunned, when the man said to me," Where are you trying to go?" I said to him, "I want to end up at the Downtown Garland Train Station." He then said, " See that sign on the other side of the street? Walk over there and catch the 475 and it will take you to the Lake Highland Train Station." Bingo. It would put me back at a rail station where I had got the 583 earlier to go to White Rock Lake Rail Station. But, now, I could go the opposite direction and take the rail to Garland and then catch the 463 back toward Spring Valley Rail Station, only getting off along the way with a three tenths walk and I would be home.

Mother Fairness had other plans. The 463 pulled into the station after waiting about 15 minutes from debarking the train at the Garland Downtown Rail across the street  from the Transit Center.  When he pulled in to the Transit Center, he stopped short and the sign changed to "GARAGE". While other were watching for the 463, I already knew we were cooling our jets even more for a dinner break for the driver. The transit centers are all being upgraded and are closed to the public. No restrooms, no information, nothing. So waiting in the cold was just something to endure. While I was only experiencing cold hands, there were several  young men in shorts and sleeveless shits. They knew what cold was like for sure. Finally, I see the driver come out of the driver's entrance to the transit center and the sign changed to 463 as he pulled around another bus and into his slot for pick up and debarking area. It was a lovely ride of 20 minutes to my stop and the 0.3 of a mile walk to my front door seemed much shorter than it usually does. What an afternoon adventure. I had originally boarded my bus at 12:59 PM. As I held the phone up to the keyhole of my door, the phone time read 7:59. Exactly 7 hours. The walking distance: a new record despite the banged up knee, leg and glasses. It could have been worse. When I got the camera out of my backpack, to upload my images for the day, the lens cap was also deeply scratched. I had placed the camera strap around my neck, which I seldom do. But for some reason when I took that foot patch trail back at the Big Thicket Cottage, I remember thinking, I don't want to fall with the camera in my hand. 

This morning, I noticed some slight swelling in my right hand and the wrist is sore. It's sore but the swelling is going down toward a more normal look.

Thank goodness Life is Not Fair. I won't be doing that again anytime soon. Did I mention I have a new trail bike in my living room that has less than 2 miles on it in the past two years? There is a problem with the tires holding air from the last trip to the bike shop. I'm thinking there is a snake bike in the tube somewhere. What puzzles me is that it is happening on both tires. Now, I've have had racing bikes and normal kids bikes for most of my years on this earth and never had the problem with tires that I am having with this bike. So, when I say never again, I'm calling the bike repair guy with the mobile repair shop and getting that fixed. I might try some trail riding and not all walking this coming Spring. Here in Texas that's about March  first as the flowering trees will be blooming and the trees will have new green growth. 

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun being in a boxing match with mother nature and Her sparring partner she set me up with, Life is Not Fair.