It All Started in the wee hours of May 28th when 80 MPH winds was tossing everything against the side of my house.

 Those winds were substained for well over 40 minutes. The results were trees everywhere down or large branches broken off. One of my bus routes to a train station passes a large cemetery. I noted piles of sawdust near 4-5 feet high where the crews were already removing the damage from the graves. That scene would be seen throughout the Metroplex, especially east of the I-35E corridor and southeast Dallas County.

Then, the dreaded thing happened: no power. Estimated repair time about 4 days. With no AC or lights, there was only one thing and that was to find a room in an extended  stay for the duration. With procedures booked at my hospital, It was just a short ride to the outpatient check in. Procedures cancelled by the anesthesiologist for a development  that he was not comfortable with, he did not want me to die on the table on his watch. It took me three weeks to get those appointments. Long story shorter----I ended up in the ER and being admitted for 4 days with all kinds of new appointments scheduled to August and still have not been rescheduled for the initial appointment and procedures. It is this type of thing that causes me to think that the entire medical system needs to be revamped quickly. Luckily, I am a very patient man. 

In a concluding thought here, I must say, I don't see much shutter

clicking for the rest of the summer. I am very weak and my photography mobility would not withstand were I am on that scale today.

What a Storm We Had as it continues with short waves slowly pushing the system out of here.

 Well, I remember being awakened by the roar of wind and things crashing all around and went back to sleep. Later I found out that the winds were 80 MPH for better part of three-quarters of an hour with pounding rain and hail the size of baseballs. 

Having said that, there is more. I spent two days in  an extended stay hotel because I had no air conditioning or lights, going from there to the hospital two blocks away where I had two outpatient surgeries scheduled. Going through all the prep, right down to the time the anesthesiologist man can in to see me before being taken to the surgery unit. Much to my surprise and my doctors, the anesthesiologist did not feel comfortable with putting me under and cancelled the surgeries. He wanted a sonogram first. It was a scramble to get one booked for the day after in the late afternoon. As usual, it would be a Friday and the results would not be available until Monday. Never-the-less that task was made complete and it is only the awaiting call from the Doctor before the surgeries will be rescheduled with urgency. 

Then, when I got home, the lights had been restored. The kicker there was that my internet was still down. I spent the next two days on the phone with ATT and got no answer when it would be back up, although ATT and sent out hourly text that they were working hard. Then came the text that they had fixed the problem but they found a connection problem that I could resolve. The problem with that is that I would need to have internet service. Saturday later afternoon, I got up from a long and well deserved nap. When I sat down at the desk and looked up at the modem/router the unit was showing all green lights again. With some baited breath, I turned on the computer and started the process of going on line as usual. Bingo!

Now---Even with rain every morning, or afternoon, or evening and overnight time frames, I would not be able to go out and shoot what I had on my schedule to shoot, although the weather in temps and dew points were perfect, the rain has been coming down in 4-6-inch totals each time. The conservation of the lakes levels  have risen by some 16 feet of new water. The ground is totally saturated like a sponge.  

No photos have been published for nearly a month, now. My brother and I were talking about change this past week. I said to him that, "Change shadows common place routines every where we go or what we do." It does seem, without fail, that change is going to happen whether we like it or not. I have always embraced change but as I get older than old, it is beginning to wear a bit thin lately. Especially in the area of electronics where I see so much over-kill taking place in the name of security. I just got my third letter that a breach had been made on another of my medical accounts. two of the three have been with sub-contractors of my health care provider. The third was go ole Ma Bell herself.

Heat Index over 100°F through the weekend.

Humidity	67%-      plus dewpoint = comfort index
Wind Speed	S 14 G 26 mph
Barometer	29.74 in (1006.2 mb)
Dewpoint	74°F (23°C)----------------------when this high combined with Humidity.
Visibility	7.00 mi
Heat Index	94°F (34°C)
Last update	24 May 12:53 pm CDT

when you add the two together and the total is above 107 you sweat standing still. The dewpoint is the culprit.

Every  one have a nice Memorial Day. Remember those that made our freedom possible.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 is National Turtle Day.

 Support a good cause. Support the rehab centers that take care of these magnificent creatures or even adopt one from one of the centers.

Just a Kid when the Northern Lights were seen by me. This week, I missed the first night and last night it was cloudy.

Thank goodness I can say that I have at least seen the most fab light show in nature. 

Today will be 100 % rain. It's another indoor day, I'm afraid. 

It's nice to know that we are in surplus standings thus far with the heat and evaporation yet to come as the summer months build and the rain systems taper off. Yet, I would rather be outdoors.

Dallas voters approved the $1.25 Billion bond propositions this month. Streets, Parks, a new Police Training Academy were the big winners. 

Representative Colin Allread, of the 32nd District of Texas meet with  Minister Ishigaki of Japan to discuss moving forward on the Texas Central High-Speed Rail Project between Dallas and Houston.

The non partisan and non profit media organization, Texas Tribute, previously reported along with the Dallas Morning News, that Texas currently has 30.3 million residents. Of that total, 68% live within the triangle of the four largest metro areas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. It also informed by noting in a January issue of the Dallas Morning News North Texas kept Dallas-Fort Worth king of the heap at 8 million souls and counting. 

One-Hundred and Ten Years ago today in the small town of Grafton, West Virginia, a memorial service was held for Anna Reeves Jarvis. It became Mother's Day as we know it today. 

Yesterday was a delightful day that found me not even reaching my regular train station.

Although, I was less than a couple of football fields away. The weather was delightful with clear skies beginning, temps in the upper 70°F range, a gentle breeze, low humidity and low dew points. I stopped one stop before reaching the train station and had lunch on an outdoor patio.

Then, I simply moved hour by hour to three separate benches  along a tree lines sidewalk, people watching, sizing up various things that would bring out the camera and basically, did absolutely nothing except soak up some vitamin D, get a lot of great fresh air and just enjoy the afternoon.

After I got home, and brought out the camera to download, I realized that I only had a couple or thee images but most importantly, I remembered just how much fun I had being outside and doing nothing. It allowed me to re-calibrate why I go out with the camera every chance I get. Rain or weather being the only reasons that keeps me inside, in general.

One of the things that came to mind yesterday was that I have been downtown almost every weekend of May but I have not been back to the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Park on the old Continental Bridge. The Trinity River Park is finally going to happen as envisioned originally.  So, I have added it to my follow-up list of places to revisit. It is a great place to get a shot of the Amtrak crossing the Trinity river on the great architectural train bridge built some 90-plus years ago.

 It is also a place were you can find serendipity happenings. One that I continue to remember and hope to hear again is a trumpet player standing under the bridge playing with the echo's and reverberation out of this world. Maybe some music majors from SMU or UNT might want to bring their instruments down there and spend an afternoon of practice time and/or experimenting with acoustics in the great outdoors. Or some one who played an instrument years ago. Brass would be the top ones, but guitar and violins, cellos, even bagpipes would be great additions, too. After all, it is about musical sounds and acoustics. Those great stone trusses are still there waiting to  bounce that sound off their structures.

 

 

 

The Mixing Pot of North Texas is Getting Active with 19 severe weather watches going on at present.

 Yesterday was so hot and muggy again, even the weather man kept the chain saw out to cut the humidity. Currently, the humidity has dropped to 69 % and the augmenter, Mr. Dew Point is also at 69°F. The temp is holding at 80°F with a heat index at 83°F. Compared to the past two days, it ain't that bad out there if you only want to get a few breaths of fresh air before the sweat starts to run. Most of the storm threats will be out of here by 7PM tonight. Rain is going to add to the conservation levels of the area lakes (that's always a good thing). The plus side is that the cold front is generating most of the hail threats this afternoon and the daily highs for the next few days will drop into the upper 70s. Tuesday will be the next day the sun is out with clear skies, if only for a day or two before another system races through. Having said all that, I can move on from the weather report.

On the sports side of things, both the Mavs and the Stars are in the second round playoffs. Today, Dallas got a pro women's soccer team that will call the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park it's new home as the Cotton Bowl is in the middle of a $140M renovation again. The old gal is a landmark. In my younger days I watched the Cotton Bowl Parades on TV and the football  games. It's always been a bit sentimental to me. AH, the days of our past youth.

My pictures have been hot and to those that use them, I Thank You very much. It is because of you that I do what I do. Always looking for something new and different from my days when I had the priviledge to know Whit Northmore Schults, the founder of Northmore's, a massive mail order house in Chicago. Not only did I consider him a friend but he, as a motivational speaker, also motivated me to begin Seaway Specilaties that got me started with not only a unique group of businesses that served the Wedding Industry, but taught me how to plan and follow the graphic arts calendar, which  I do even today. I shoot on that calendar specifically for the graphic arts (i.e., ga's are already ending their summer needs and moving toward fall already). 

So, while I have been  cabin bound without the fever, the normal routine of getting things done that pop up at the same time every year is upon me again. Actually, I might even be caught  up more than I had first though. A couple of doctor's appointments are scheduled but that should  be the end of those till December. With hope, I can be out shooting some interesting things again. 

   

GO MAVS

GO STARS

The Porch Thermometer Hits 100°F Yesterday for the first time this season.

In some mitigation of that headline is that for about 30 minutes the angle of the sun hits the porch at the hottest point of the day. Still, the temps were close and the humidity and dew points were sky high. 

Then, this morning, the news reports made mention of how bad the humidity and heat were  yesterday. I know, I was out in that heat and even had to use my umbrella at one bus stop. One weatherman said that the humidity was so thick,"could cut it with a chain saw." 

With heat index readings of 100 today, it's going to be an 'inside day' without question. 

So, without making excuses, I missed the shot of the day because I was holding an umbrella at an unsheltered bus stop. The shot was a double wide mobile home moving from west to east on the top 5th level of the Dallas High 5. It was so weird to see a house up there, some 120 feet above grade level.That is looking into the office buildings 10th floor. That was a totally unexpected event and proved to me even more the reason I have always traveled with my cameras. Making shots like that are lost in a moment if not paying attention, or by doing a simple thing like keeping the hot sun contained while in a warming environment of today. 

A cold front is on the way for the weekend with temps in the upper 70s and much lower humidities. The thing about cold fronts in Texas other than winter is that they are usually short lived.

 

 

Cannot do any hurkle-durkling or any WCS. I already burned that candle on Wednesday

 What the heck is he talking about? You don't want the long answer because that goes back 200 years where it began as a Scots term. The short answer could be the route to take here. 

The old Scots term of hurkle-durkling was used to indicate a meaning of lounging in bed well past the time you were supposed to get up. That has never been my style. I get up with my internal clock every morning at about the same time, give or take a couple of minutes on either side. That goes back to my teen years when I had a entire small town route for a large newspaper publisher owned and operated by Gannett Co., Inc.  delivering to the entire town of 1498 people, where most were customers. It was a chore and my dad would help with the Sunday Papers driving me in the car loaded with heavy newspapers filled with ads. Every one got screen door service. But for a teen, the money was fantastic.

So, getting up early and getting the day started just became a habit that continues even until today. And, with that history, the WCS fits right in there just about [here]. That stands for weekend catch up sleep. Quiet simply, there was none. However, there was a slight adjustment made with this one. It meant going to bed earlier than normal bedtime. This past Wednesday, I went to bed at 7PM and did not wake up until 7 AM the following morning. In my book, that took care of about four weeks of WCS. That has never become a habit, either. I like to say, "Only when needed". That need usually is about the time that we switch Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time on either side shortly after the change. 

                                                        An early morning painter

April Steps Fell, Weather brought shut-in days. Happy May Day, Too!

Springtime in Texas is mixing up the cold air with the warm moist Gulf air inflow, but it was still, a pretty good month weather, health and sales wise over all. And, I'm even ready for National Turtle Day this month on Thursday, May 23rd. 

Thistle's are amazing weeds. The geo-patterns and colors just don't come to mind when you think of a weed that grows along fences, around construction sites or in a field that has been unattended for a while.

If Something Moves You, Photograph it!

 This could well be a father's statement to his daughter who just sent me an image that she took. Having said that, I hope she's checking out the blog, for sure. 

I'm very comfortable with my style looking back at many years of images. Twenty-three years ago, when I did the initial research on a name that I wanted to use it was an image of a distorted reflection--- in other words, people have an image of a paparazzo in their heads that isn't really what I wanted to convey. In fact, the ideal was to distort that image that people had with the name in their minds, with the actual end result being nearly a 180-degree turn from what people would be thinking. Hence, the birth of dallaspaparazzo because it would be of things in a high density population and urban setting. People were not the focus at all.

All these years later, I have had a more clear focus on light, textures, angles, materials and structural elements. To paraphrase an article that I found on the web in the early 2021 during the pandemic the article was more like I had envisioned the end result of our name some twenty years before the article was written. 

My mother did amazing things in abstract designs long before they were fashionable. I have always been a big fan of abstracts and when I can photograph something that has endless possibilities of abstractness, I can sit for hours looking at what I see physically and how it looks mentally. In short, I am not afraid to shoot something 'off the wall' odd or strange whether people understand it or not. In fact, go to a museum and look at a famous artist painting. People see different things. With me, composition rules go out the window. My intention is to see how long it takes someone to mention that they saw much the same as I did when composing the shot. Sales is the barometer of that process generally. 

At this writing, images that I shot on a streak of creativity are selling off the wall (pardon the pun) within days of them being published. And in that same vein of thought, last week I sold an image that was shot 19 years ago for the first time. Unusual to have such a vast spread of time of images to be  analytical of one that jumped off the shelf and another one that sat in a server for all that time but had the same results. I love to see those things,  I then go out and photograph point-counterpoint shots again.

One of my old friends and also an AP photographer, once told me that there is no incorrect way to create an image. You see something that moves you, shoot the darn thing. I have long remembered Steve's firmness when he said that to me. He was an amazing man with a camera. He is also the man that would walk out on a steel beam 60 stories up to shoot steelworkers sitting on the beam eating their lunch, just to get a shot that "moved him". That was the point where Steve and I drew the line. He knew better than to ask me to do that and I knew better than to take the bait. I was not going out on a steel beam 600 feet up in the air to get a shot. That's why they make long glass that fit camera bodies. 

Over the years another thing that I ran across in one of several articles Google turned up in a search, answered my question with many references: The common misconception is that Urban photography and Street photography are interchangeable. They are not. They are two separate entities by definitions. 

"Urban photography serves as a representation of contemporary life in a city space, Street photography is a visual documentation of society within public space." Judity Ruiz Ricart, Wix.com/blog/photography/urban-photography, Feb.10, 2020.

Many argue that street photography should be considered a sub-genre  of urban photography. It has always been: it all depends on who you ask. Which was exactly what Steve had told me years earlier in one of those times when he left his comedy side and became a teacher with firmness in his voice. 

My point to be made here in mutual agreement with Steve (R.I.P you old West Virginia Boy) and Google found article by Judity Ricart, is that I have not been as analytical about street photography and urban photography as I should be or

as I have been about the term in which images sell (that's the old Marketing side me of rearing it head). And that was triggered when my daughter sent me her image with the caption, "See I can take good pics too".

In short, the creative juices are flowing again like an open tap. I am anxious to see what appears in the lens when I can get back out there. 

Wildlife Images are interesting in urban nature settings.

                                   I still have to pinch myself that I caught this capture a few years back, like pre-Covid days. I found the chip still in my old Nikon camera the other day, much to my surprise. It says a lot about the battles the animal kingdoms deal with. Here the hummingbird is protecting his nectar source from a bumble bee that was trying hard to drive the hummer away. Luckily, I was focusing on the shot when the hummer did an about face and pretty much told the bee that he would be speared with that beak if he tried it again. Combat awaits but never took place. However, it was a capture that I am proud to say that I took the shot.

                                   A Plano Coyote takes a leisure rest in a front yard.

Then, just day before yesterday as I am leaving the house, I saw a feral cat a couple of doors down chasing something in the tall grass from all the rain. Stopping, to see what was going on, the cat came up with a squirrel. It was lunch time. Had I stopped to unpack the camera, the shot would have been lost anyway. The cat was looking at me with the squirrel in his jaws. Had he felt threatened, he would have run. It was best that I just kept walking. What's the old Texas Poker phrase? "know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em".

Lately, it just seems to me that seeing such things are on the rise. One, because of the stupendous growth in population of humans in Texas and two, the animals are loosing ground for native habitat. And just yesterday on the news, The Trinity non-profit that controls the land between the Maggie 1 and the Magge 2 bridges between the levees announced that the money is now in place to begin the long awaited park on the western edge of downtown. When it was announced during the building of each of the two bridges (Maggie 1 is the one arch and Maggie 2 is the double arch bridges that cross the Trinity River) there was a lots of excitement stirring. It seemed to fade a bit after a period of time, but things developed here and there that seemed to garner a bit of hope left that eventually the park would come to life as planned. Groundbreaking is set for this fall we are told. Oh! Maggie came about as a nick name for Margaret. Both the bridges are names after women with the first name Margaret Hunt Hill and Margaret McDermott. The single arch Hill bridge was first and the double arch McDermott was build second. Hence Maggie 1 and Maggie 2. It is an easy way to remember which one is which   being so close together. During the construction of the Maggie I, daily shots in the progress were made over the course of construction and are published through our agents. 

The wildlife scene changes a bit in this area with water fowl, but it is also on the migration route to the Great Trinity Forest, a 6,000 acre hardwood forest in Southeast Dallas. It also is the largest hardwood forest in the United States. Here, the bob cats, coyotes and other things seek safe harbor from all the growth driving them south as the Metroplex grows North into vast farmlands.

If Dart ever gets service out there, I would love to return to the Trinity River Audubon Center. It is a birders paradise. Also, the AT&T trail connects to the tail system. The last time I was there was when the PGA golf course was being constructed, from the AT&T trail, I got a shot of the #5 flag on the green. When it opened, one year of the Byron Nelson was held there after leaving Cottonwood in Irving and before moving North, closer to the new PGA headquarters and new courses.

                    Yes, even these little creatures are having a bad time with urban sprawl.

    One thing about the Monk Parrots is that their colonies in the Urban Scene are growing.
 

 

Construction Zone

 Saw the National Weather Service Summer Forecast yesterday. It ain't pretty. More Hot than the two record years of the past. That set the time clock ticking to switch from Spring Backgrounds to Summer. If it is going to be as hot as the NWS thinks it will, I have two choices, get out before the sun comes up and shoot until it starts to feel like Texas--that's 10 AM forward. Or, prepare to be under the AC for the duration of the summer.

It Rained all night. It Rained all day. Loud Thunder and Lightening Rumbled Sleep Away.

 Over 2-inches of rain since late afternoon yesterday. Rain with high winds. Falling temperatures came as the cold front passed and weather system became a slow mover. The low tonight will be 49°F. Two days from now it will be back in the high 80's. But the kicker is that after three days of nice weather again, we are in for another round of 4-days of rain. 

It might be better to go to Sam's club and buy a canoe and rain gear, Then, I can forget about the buses and train schedules.

It might even be to my advantage because I could get to places in the canoe that I have not seen. Of course, I am kidding. I had enough canoe trips at summer camps in southern Michigan. I'd get up at 5:30 AM and paddle around the lake before breakfast. My wife and the kids were not big canoe fans. The peace and quiet of the morning as the sun came up is one of my favorite times to be out in nature. The birds sing sweeter songs, the light paints the surrounding landscape like a Norman Rockwell canvas. The stillness of the water is like a mirror and to me, it's a perfect start to the day. 

The rain also cancelled the 40-miles of trails at the Blue Bonnet Festival in Ennis, Texas today.

Headed out to Deep Ellum today after talking with the Muralist yesterday on a bus route.

 This was my third weekend in the Art's District Train Station and it was more wild that the past two. It didn't take long to figure out why. The past two weeks the girls Volleyball playoffs were being held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and today was the final weekend. While waiting for the Green line to Deep Ellum, suddenly, I was surrounded by three full teams of the competition when I heard a guy say, do these trains all go the same direction? He later said that he was from out of town and needed some help. I explained to him the difference of the four lines and where they went and teams were trying to get to the Convention Center via train. When the teams got on the right side of the platform, I could see the Green Line inching it's way toward me. Reaching into my camera cart, I pulled out a bus route schedule that had a map of the train system. As I gave it to him, he was full of joy. 

When I got to Deep Ellum, the Baylor station was my target.  I would not have to walk as far to Rudolph's to see the mural that was painted on the back of their building as the muralist had explained to me yesterday. Walking past Paula's business, there was a note taped to the door that her mozzarella was being sold at Rudolph's in the next block. Paula started that business in early 1980's. Most of the afternoon was spent walking down Elm, crossing over to Main and coming back up Main before rounding the corner where Tree's (the music venue) once stood, with my full intentions of boarding the train at the Deep Ellum station. That station  had been built over the two tunnels that I will always remember being there and the paint parties that were held. I had to get my notes out as to the early date of 1911 beginnings of the Boyd Hotel, one of the few remaining cast iron front buildings. My notes come from the time that I was working a project to secure a grant to be given to the Deep Ellum Foundation from the Walmart Foundation. It was a joy to go to that Board Meeting with the grant to Deep Ellum. I have so many memories of Deep Ellum in a whole different light than most people do and I consider myself to be very fortunate to have that knowledge. Yes, even where all the broken beer bottles were on a Monday morning when I started my trek gathering the info needed for the grant and talking with the shop owners. 

So, I noticed so many changes today, new places, old buildings that were getting face lifts and somewhat loosing the old character of Deep Ellum, though that will never totally happen. The new characters just add more layers of history to the tale.

Since the Elm Street Upgrades, now, along the side walks are flower beds with native Texas wildflowers and prairie grasses. There are many metal backed benches in place now, as well. 

Of course, to me the big changes is that it took Deep Ellum over 100 years to get it's first high rise and now they sprout up as urban development. The pollinators were busy doing what they do best on these beautiful flowers.

Hesperaloe parviflora (Red Yucca)

 The afternoon was spent experimenting with a new-found setting on the big lens of the camera and a parking lot that is packed with flower beds of Red Yucca blooming. A Serendipity find.

Weather update for this weekend: 89 to 48 on Monday. That is a high today and a low beginning on Monday after 1-3 inches more of rain. The roller coaster in the sky overhead is on the move. It's Springtime in Texas. 

Buc-ee's is now a big bucks employer as it is now being reporting at $18 and change minimum wage at this super store of on- the- road travel stops. You have never seen as many gas pumps in on location and inside you would think that you had stepped into a Walmart in square footage, more if you add the food service section. They hold some records, folk's.

Had a nice chat with a mural artist that has been painting in Deep Ellum since 1980s. He was telling me that he had just finished a mural  on the back of Rudolph's Meat Market that has been operating since the1890's from the same location. Great family, too. 

Paula Lambert has been making Mozzarella cheese just down the street from Rudolph's. Paula is such a nice lady. And----her cheese is out-of-this world, no kidding. Two stops on Elm street and you could have one heck of a dinner party that everyone would like.

Deep Ellum has changed a great deal since 2001, but overall, it's still a great entertainment district of historic significance. It's been a while since I have photographed there. In the past it was during the Arts Festival. It was the hat that the mural artist was wearing today that  got my attention, asking him if he remembered when they painted the tunnels in Deep Ellum before Dart filled them in for the first of two Deep Ellum train stations. The muralist had abstract paint colors allover. One of my favorite designs!