Clean Green Commuting Machine--DART'S words--not mine.

Since I have been riding the busses, light rails and commuter rails for the past two years, and shooting the construction of the New Silver Line from North Garland to Terminal B at DFW, where it will join the already running TEXrail from Ft. Worth and Dart's light rail in Terminal A, as the first train to provide service direct to DFW. It was time to point out the fact that I have not looked back since riding public transportation. In fact, it has been a delight to sit back and watch the world pass by on the way around the Metroplex.

Several days ago, I was able to ride the new electric bus. What a bus! Everything you have heard good about no engine noise, fast, peppy takeoffs, no smells of gas fumes either from gasoline or propane-type fuels is true. I'd like for DART to get busy with charging stations so they can add more of these to their fleet. WOW! that would be so nice. 

And  speaking of trains---I surprised my brother and sister-in-law at Union Station to see them off on the Texas Star from Chicago to LA from Dallas. They were on their way to Palm Springs, there second trip to California area this year. Several years ago I rode (then) the San Francisco Zephry. Now, it's just the California Zephyr # 5 outbound  and # 6 inbound. It was everything that I had heard it would be and even better. The Roomette was comfortable. The dinning car was  excellent and then some. So, I know my brother and his wife, having been through the desert prior, will love it again this time. Actually, I just might give it a try again. The destination is not that important since I have traveled a great deal of the US, especially the midwest and eastern seaboard. I just love the Atlantic more than the Pacific. Sorry Pacifico. No hard feelings.

 

 

 

Off to Palm Springs for a fun time

Union Station Dallas, Amtrak Texas Star to California (LA)

From Unioin Station, a closeup view of Reunion Tower 570 feet observation. Wolfgand Puck operated a restaurant prior to Covid there.

                                            New Electric Buses Running as 106 and 28 routes.

Looking For Textures today. Found a Texture Mine

                                               Spring is busting out all over in the Metroplex.

One just never knows what you will find these days. Everyone has an opinion on why things have gotten so crazy.  That is exactly why I don't shoot people in poses and do weddings etc.,etc. There is a bus stop that I pass through almost every time I go out. A couple of weeks ago there was this weird accident at a high traffic intersection. Today, there was another on the opposite corner involving three vehicles instead of just two. A popular Asian Shopping Center because a cut-through for a bus that had to pass up two of its stops because of the fire trucks and police. I try not to let things like that bother me when I'm walking and using public transportation. But, I guess it is because I've seen so much over the years that having a normal day does not really occur that much anymore. In fact, I pretty much expect to see bags full of things during the day.

It's ten degrees cooler than yesterday and it still hit 81°F. At least just normal jeans and shirt made the backpack and camera case easier to carry with the folding canvas stool instead of dealing with a heavy winter coat. It rained from a fast moving system from California that cleared out of here by mid morning. Then, gusty winds dried up the moisture but left pooling ponds to dodge on sidewalks and curbs. 

I've been passing a rather unusual themed restaurant that was developed along a stretch that I cover in the old neighborhood area, Not far from where my mom lived, then I lived, after my younger brother had lived in the neighborhood as well while he was single. My, how time flies. But, when the train stopped at the station across the street, I got off and started walking another block of the blocks. I found some red bud threes that were busting out the blooms already. Spring is gonna pop here real soon. Usually by the first of March in years past. I had even forgot that Fat Tuesday was yesterday and people were beginning the first day of Lent in the Christian Religion with burned palm ashes placed on their forehead. When reality struck, I walked over to the restaurant and went in side.

I had a great lunch outside on their covered patio eating to the sounds of the street and the trains. When I finished, I ask the host if I could take a couple of shots of the most unusual architecture element that I had seen. It was simple and yet, it just stood out. "Sure, have at it, he said."  That changed the attitude of the day. It was 4 o'clock when I walked into the house with some keepers and some that were ifs and maybes because of the wind and me not changing my settings like I could have. Yet, the keepers will go to one or two of my agents that knows how to choose things from the same view point that I saw when I choose to shoot them originally. Everyone thinks that fads last. They don't.

                                                Simple,plain, very well done interior

                                                        Plastic Cars or not, this was a hard hit.

Another discard of the same breed as I found yesterday.  The difference here is a single glove and a woman's. The ones yesterday were a pair of men's. What's the odds of finding the same discard 10 miles removed from the first find?

90°today. Not even a record, but the AC was working on the buses and trains. Lunch on a bench in Lakewood.

 Discovery Missions are always fun. The fun is in the discovery. Even if it is small. The discovery was a new small number route; small sign topper; small architectural element that is over 2000 years old in design. The design comes from Morocco in North Africa's Marrakech to Casablanca train route. But sold for centuries in the Market's of Marrakech. 

As far as the small number route. Well, it is a bit over an hour from start to finish and in some places it's know as a true crosstown. It's about 20-minutes to get where I started but enroute found another way to pick it up midstream for it is the far western end of the route that I really would like to explore more. Another time, maybe when I can start out earlier than I did today. And this being Texas, before it gets to hot.

                                                                    Morocco Treasure

                                                                    Historic Junius District

                                                      Some things people discard along their way

 

                                             

Knoll Trail Mystery Solved

 Everyone knows where Knoll Trail is but no one can find it, or so they say. In fact, I know where  it is but only if I travel from the opposing direction. The one Silverline Station under construction that I have not photographed in that amazing state of creation, is the Knoll Trail. The reason is that the developer of the now leveled Valley View Mall has included a people mover from the Valley View location and the nearby Galleria to the new Knoll Trail Station. 

Well, today, I solved my mystery. Knoll Trail is a continuation of Momtfort at the Walmart on the corner of Momtfort and Arapaho. In the Issue No. 1 Silverline Dallas Rapid Transit stated that the station was a "Kiss and Ride" station with no parking. From what I saw today, there is parking. Plainly marked. To be fair to DART, they call it an urban oasis. Actually, that definition comes very close to what this station will be. The people mover thing came from the developer at the old Valley View project. I have not seen much action from that site but dirt being moved from pile one to pile two. Come on late 2024!

Beautiful Georgian Architecture at SMU for Thomas Jefferson

 The architecture at SMU is of the Georgian style chosen by the architect from the style at Charlottesville, Virginia's university from the Thomas Jefferson era. It is one of my favorites, still, today. The Cox school of business is undergoing at present, a major building addition with a quad structure. 

The Perkins Chapel of the Divinity School is always a peaceful experience inside and out. I love the benches and the rose gardens before going up the steps to the entrance. Today, I noticed at large number of tulip trees in bloom. 

I always walk by the Greer Garson Theatre Building. My mom knew Greer and I do visit her grave from time to time out of total respect for such a wonderful person that she was. Mom would like that, too.

Got to Ride the New Electric Bus Today. AWESOME!!

 The route number is 106 and 28 leaving from their stop at the Rosa Parks Plaza across from the West Transit Center.

It was smooth

It was Quiet

It left no odor.

The comfort of the interior is 100% improved 

I have been wanting to know which one of the downtown buses would go to Trinity Groves at the west end of the Margaret Hunt Hill (Maggie 1) Bridge. I had a choice and took the first one to pull in, which was the 106. I came back on the 28. Truthfully, I hope to see more of them on the streets. DART sold me with one ride. Seen here on the Maggie 1Bridge with the arches of the Maggie 2 in the background of the Maggie 1 cable stays. Trinity grove is at the end of the bridge. I shot this from the Ron Kirk Deck Park which for 80 years carried the Singleton Traffic over the Trinity River on the Continental Bridge.

A Very Interesting Historical Marker to a park in North Dallas

 Yesterday, I walked the White Rock Creek Trail from Forest Lane to the LBJ Expressway on the west side of the Dallas High 5 Project. Over the years, I have long enjoyed the flowing waters that cut their way through the chalk cliff banks.

                                    Foot bridge crosses over onto the second large soccer field

                       Markers on the White Rock Creek Trail from Alpha Road to White Rock Lake
vein that runs through the northern geography of North Texas. I have seen boulders fall from the cliffs the size of a small van into the White Rock Creek that flows as part of the normal watershed. 

A couple of years ago, part of the trail had to be closed as the banks were shored up before the trail could be reopened. Yesterday was the first time that I had a chance where I could see the work that had been done. As I passed along the street, Park Central, I could see some major changes going on. Having said that, here, the images will explain a lot.

  Honor to the former land owner that is now named in his honor as a city park: Anderson Bonner

                                                     The State of Texas Historical Marker

                                            The rapids that flow through this part of the park.
 

                The Rebuild of the Trails Bank that had closed the park trail for a fairly long time.The image below is just a bit up stream from the picture above. This seems to be more stable at the point.

Found a Large Tree in Full Bloom today. About three weeks earlier than normal.

Took a walk down the White Rock Creek Trail that is under development. Some of it I've been over in sections  including Anderson Bonner Park. That's part of the chalk vein that runs through Dallas. The weather was in the upper 70s and while a lot of moisture was moving this way, the sun stayed out most of the afternoon. 

Winter returns tomorrow with the high hanging in the low to mid 40s but the wind chill will be below freezing. I'm home bound tomorrow for sure. Glad I could get out today.

Spring Weather is Hitting like a Seesaw---Up and Down.

 When the weather is in this phase, I tend to stay in doors. At the first break of sunshine and temps 50°F

and above, I get outside very fast. The weather was great today, but it's going downhill like a lead balloon. High wind warnings are out and the temps from the second cold front is doing to do the same to temps. Some of the Weather Service long range says that it could be like that through the end of the month. But, there is hope because after today, I am convinced that its going to get better as tree branches are beginning to bud out in a wide scope of plants and trees.

I've spent a lot of time walking of late. Since I got my app for footsteps, I've been kicking the heck out of weight loss again. Plus, getting out of the house and giving my lungs a good turn of fresh air. Today, I hit the nature trails in Richardson, walking the distance from Galatyn Park train station to City Lines train station, then reversing it back halfway and covering the distance from US75 and Renner to George Bush Turnpike Service Road to Plano Road and back to the trail head at Spring Valley Nature Trail.  

The  City Line Station of the Silver line next to the Light Rail Station in use, is really a two-fold project. The station construction is one part but the other part is the pilings and cross bars that will support the tracks above and over US 75 North. Today, I was able to get up close to the pilings as they make their way on a gradual turn after departing the City Line Station on it's way to DFW Terminal B as the third train into DFW from Ft. Worth through Dallas, Richardson, Plano and Garland. A total of 26 miles currently under construction.Plus the Light Rail from Plano and South Dallas to Terminal A using the Orange Line, Green Line, Blue line and Red Line.

On getting off the Red Line at City Line, I headed toward the nature trails but stopped and dropped my camera bag to unpack and get my first shot. It was just to good of a shot to pass up. A Young man sat on the top floor parapit of  a parking garage that connected two rows of apartments facing south and north. The man was facing east overlooking the construction of the Silverline, the Light rail stations and the massive CityLineDFW complex, that is a regional complex of several highrises for State Farm Insurance. That complex is lined with retail and other businesses. I remember when this entire area was a massive hay field. What a grown that just keeps growing.

The Image of the Day Tells the Story of Why Inside is the Best Place To Be Today

 While I waited for my T-shirt with my image from the Wind Blowing Project over the specialized screen that I made and then ordered from Zazzle  (turned out spectacular) my delayed grocery order arrived shortly afterwards. Ironically, the shipping on both were delayed, one more than the other. But, in the end, I was able to get a shot in a perspective that I had not ever really thought about much in the past. Don't you see, I like dealing with colors. Bright and vibrant colors, no less. But, some how, I saw a grey and black and white in a different light than in the past from my porch and grabbed my camera just before took to the sky in 40 MPH winds and a high temp of 42 degrees F. I watched them do things in that wind like Hawks and Vultures do in warm thermals. It was amazing.

You see, to solve the problem with the void of color you just repaint the wall with the brightest and most beautiful color you can find. Then, set back and look at this image on that wall. WOW! It just solved a problem.

A Re-discovery Mission yields a beautiful red Tulip Tree Blossom

 Most of our readers know what discovery missions are for us when we mention them. I know this thanks to Google Analytical. Knowing that our readers tune in most always when mention having been made we were on a discovery mission. Why? Our readership spikes. The other topics we write about that brings spikes are when we mention that we have pulled Arthur Gordon from my book shelves again. And the last of the three spike topics usually has a header," Things I find on the way to the Doctor's." But this post is of a Re-Discovery in Downtown Dallas

I mention this solely because those three areas have a common thread of likeness that I also hold. At one time the first rule of photography was called "the rule of thirds". Well, that lead me in another direction. That direction, shoot what you like. In order to do that and still be productive, you need to constantly be looking for new material to shoot. But, there is a side that is like a carbon copy of things and of places and of things. Hence, the wagon wheel theory to cover the Metroplex in a timeline that keeps the graphic artist that purchase the images ahead of their calendar that they follow in the world of publishing and media deadlines. So, out of all that, don't you see, came the wagon wheel travel routes, the flow of new material (which can include the revisits on a regular routine). And some even fall into the cog wheel as Re-Discovery Projects and/or Missions. 

Downtown, today, I was in rediscovery mode. Why "because there are about 30 new buildings in the mid range of high rises that have already gone up or currently are in the process of going up or in various stages of completion. And, when there is talk about something approved for development, etc.,etc., it requires keeping the project in 'watch' mode'. 

So here, tonight, first things first. Heads up for the GA's looking for that early spring bud or bloom. We found a beauty, today. A Tulip Tree with buds opening. Keeping in mind it is the first full week of February, we just came off  of a 5 day run of temps below freezing for 84 hours.

Since Our Last Post We Have Been Iced In All Week

Since our last post, a week of steady below freezing weather and wave after wave of moisture being delivered by a deep stationary low parked over the Baja of California into our Arctic air parked over us, I've been house bound. 

Finally, today, we climbed above freezing for the day and the freezing rain build up of sleet on the ground because drips of water again. Tonight, we fall below freezing for just tonight and by the weekend, we return to 50's and mid 60's. Sadly to say (and we need the rain) we get a couple of days of rain Tuesday and Wednesday. 

I'm just happy to be able to get out of the house again. Cabin fever was helped by gloomy cloud decks with not a drop of sunshine for all this time.