It Was A Double Headed Kind Of Day

Seldom do I do two contrasting thing in one day, but today was an absolute kind of day to do such things. By nine this morning, I had turned off the computer after checking the mail; gave a quick check on my agent, checked on the coffee pot, then packed a sandwich and snack, drinks, cold packs for the cooler and was out the door by 9:30.

The trip was to make the Belt Line Road north segment of the east west beltway. It's one of Dallas' first beltways and makes a complete circle around the Dallas-Metroplex. It also runs tandem with the old Cotton Belt Train that will be running from Plano to the rail station at DFW--the third train to serve the terminals at DFW. There was so many changes to things that I include in the Urban scene that it was 11 before I landed at DFW's Founder Plaza. Actually, it's been a spell since I was last there. Even there, so much had changed. That's why those wagon wheel spokes are so important to circuit drive on a regular basis. But, it's not always that easy with Doctors, Dentist, Eye Doctor blah blah blah---blah blah blah. And, it does run up the mileage. With the cost of gas, it cuts into everything overall as prices are soaring almost faster than you can turn around. Even with all that, I still could not cover everything. I had wanted to make the cut at MacArthur and go by the old Cowboys Headquarters in Valley Ranch before they moved to the "Star" in Frisco. I heard that it has now been bulldozed. I had wanted to see yes or not,

While there, I also got a chance to shoot the new flowers that grace the grounds there at Founders. Spoke with a gentlemen who just signed on his new house in the Metroplex this morning. His wife was in the car and didn't get out. They are moving here from Boston. His one son lives on Grapevine Lake and his other son," is a pilot for United Airlines", he said. He mentioned that he had painting in the Pentagon. It was a bit funny that the two of us knew one person that we shared as a friend. I find that totally amazing. As they say in the land of Disney, "It's a small world after all."

I ate my snack first today and then headed out chomping down on home made ice chips that I had packed in the cooler. Lately, this chomping on ice has become a past time bigger than chewing gum for some people So, taking Airfield Drive around to the south entrance, I decided to take Valley View to Walnut Hill for most of the journey back into Dallas but instead of taking Walnut Hill into Los Colinas, I took Northgate that comes into Northwest Highway just west of Love Field. I had the sunroof open and I had been shadowed at DFW by a 787 landing on the 18s and I got shadowed by a Southwest at Love. When I say shadowed, I mean shadowed as the entire planes shadow come over you at the same speed that they are landing (somewhere around 137MPH plus or minus a few miles per hour). From there,  took Northwest east to Inwood to the Lover's Lane United Methodist Church on the corner as I wanted to then take Park Lane a bit farther west going east than I usually travel. Why? Well, if you have ever been to Ashville, North Carolina and visited the Biltmore, there are many homes like that there. Some of the lots have been filled with Ronnie Houses that try to look like the massive blocks of stone that form the walls of the estates that I mention. Frankly, architecturally, they don't come close.

Then, from there, it was a direct shot to Flag Pole Hill where I parked and found a picnic table under some big trees with lots of shade and being on the top of FPH, the breezes were gentle but felt so good on the skin. In short, it was a pleasant,perfect comfort kind of lunch as I overlooked the traffic coming and going through FPH. White Rock Creek flows toward the lake just west of where I was having my lunch. By 4:30, I was home. It did take me a bit to recoup my strength but all-in-all, it was a delightful day.

15 hours in the air ends with the "painting of the runway". That is the smoke coming up from the runway as the rubber is burned off the tire and deposited onto the runway as a black rubber stripe. It has to be cleaned off the runway by a night crew several times during the course of a specific time frame.

A very complex flower bloom, but one of utter beauty, too. 

One of the picnic table canopies at Flounders Plaza at DFW. The only clouds in the sky were there high-thing whisp right above the airfield.

Have A Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday---

but look out for Black Friday!! I hear it's likely to be more wicked than in the past. No prediction---mind you---just hear-say, of course.

SOME of you don't like airplanes, I know, but it' been a long time since the Wright Brothers left the Terra Firma at Kitty Hawk. The constant change in technology has made flying more safe than ever in the states.


I have followed a young man that I have come to admire because he flew around the world solo at 16, has come back to earth long enough  to get his education at MIT and has never owned a car---more or less, but flies a Beechcraft 36 everywhere. Last night he stopped in Bryan, Ohio to refuel on his way home to South Dakota for Thanksgiving, not landing until  01:30 this morning.  after being in Vermont and upstate New York before heading for home.

He has a foundation that he set up. He travels everywhere by his own plane; has more flight hours than some first officers that fly commercially. He writes software---for lack of a better way to describe it---and enjoys life to the fullest. 

I went out to DFW yesterday after paying my annual visit to my bank's branch in Irving. I said to the tellers that every thing has come early this year--spring;summer;fall. So, here I am in November rather than December this year! I had a little check (AARGH) people still send those, that had that little annoying statement---deposit promptly. Then why use checks....electronics work fine. Also, since I get one of those annually and it's 16 miles out to the bank and 16 miles back---unless I go to DFW from there, which I did. But I wanted the tellers to show me how to use the app to deposit the check electronically so I didn't have to heed the warning---Deposit Promptly.

One of the guys came over to the desk and I explained that I wanted to learn about the photo process of depositing checks with the app and where could I get the app since I had looked and could not fine it on the website. He paused a minute and then said," Actually, I've never used it."  I said to him, Gee. I don't even know you and I love you already!" The other teller broke out in a laugh. He said, I can tell you like being honest. Any hoot. I got the little annoyance deposited and then headed to the airport.

Founder's was packed when I got there and I didn't stay long, but long enough to see changes to the new rail line into Terminal B. It opens very soon with the TEX rail from Ft. Worth to the big airport. Terminal A has had Dart's light rail for a couple of years already and it won't be long before the Cotton belt will roll in to the mix. 

A hawk riding thermals above the 18's at DFW. Surprisingly, the planes come in under him on approach and take off below and  beyond him. It's like a soup bowl and he flies right over the center as planes come and go on the rims down into the bowl. Make sense?  Also, he scares off a lowt of the birds that could cause a problem.

Atlas at UPS with the wintering grasses being cut beyond the fence to the tarmac. The tractor driver likes to watch the planes too!!

Here, where you see the crane boom, look to the right at grade level to see the canopies for the TEX rail into Terminal B. Also, the runways at the end of the 17's are getting  a re-configuration for holding and crossings. A big improvement. One side has it already.

There was an Atlas Air 747 parked at the UPS terminal. Normally, Atlas parks father down beyond the American Airline Hangers on the west side of the field. I can only make a couple of guesses as to why: 1) UPS leased the Atlas 747 for the holidays.2) Atlas is under contract for UPS during the holidays.3) Amazon is somehow in the mix of things! (they have a plane with the A to Z arrow logo on it that flies into DFW already.

At home, I got a text from my baby brother that lives here in the Metroplex. I knew that he would be going to Houston to see his daughter over Thanksgiving and we are having lunch on Saturday. He has a way of telling me things that is funny and always tries to up one on me. He said he was taking the Von Lane to Houston (google it---he said) I said in reply, Nice Buses! I have photographed them on the road! (I just had to do that, don't ya see?) Anyway, it didn't take long to figure out that he was on the bus en route already. We had an hour and a half of texting back and forth. The buses really are nice. 22 plush recliner-type leather seats with food, refreshments, WI-FI, power plugs, even table tops for video projection in the back. That's it! 22 people-no more- direct drop-off at the hotel. I'm saying, like little brother---google it!

So, my turkey is thawed and ready for the oven tomorrow. I'm going to have a quiet Thanksgiving---I'm hoping. And I'm going to try to do some more walking with the weather being nice and getting nicer again. 70s for the weekend. Clouds are high and thin and that is an old farmers observation that a weather system is moving in. So, I got to get moving to have pictures to work on tonight. I have had a run of several straight days of sales. The hard work over the long hot summer is beginning to be realized in sales. Like the old bumper sticker from years ago---"Fly Southwest. Herb needs the Money", well, media buyers I have 8,000 images on line so " Fly dallaspaparazzo.com. I need the money like Herb did !"

Humor Can Be Found Anywhere

Founder's Plaza at DFW

Airbus A-319 flown by Virgin American on final to 13R at Love Field in a strong cross wind.

One of the last MD-11s UPS still flies. That's a lot of package deliveries there, bubba!

Wind today at DFW was steady at 29 MPH Gusting to 40 MPH. A wind advisory went into effect at 10 A.M. CST. At about 6 A.M. this morning, with a setting full moon, the flow of Gulf moisture was streaming by the moon. It was awesome.

We set another  record today, too. 80-degrees at the 2:54 P.M. update at the National Weather Service at DFW, our official reporting station. Even the feathered birds were having a difficult time navigating. Yet, one overly friendly grackle got me to laugh.

The angle of the sun this time of year in mid morning to a bit after noon the glare on the planes is not the best. Plus, I hate changing settings this time of year, too. Even with memory Fn settings. By the time I got to Love Field, the winds had not let up much (Gust to 35 MPH) but the light was much more favorable.

Emirates A380 Just Arrived at DFW.

The Emirates flight was not at Terminal D late this morning. Since they fly daily service, everyone was wondering what was going on. Obviously, with the flight just arriving at a quarter after 10 tonight, either a schedule change is in the works or something else. The Qantas flight was right on time and graced the skies as it made the wide turn to the final. The field was full of people snapping photos for the first time. For aviation buffs, it's still the thrill it was the first time you saw that plane of your dreams come in and land. Awesome.(Click on anyone of the images to enlarge).

The DFW Firefighters were practicing and training.

UPS was just about to make his turn but said hello first!

Qantas A-380. It's not a Doug Parker, that's for sure!

First In-Flight Migration V Sighted

Whooping Cranes and Sand Hill Cranes both migrate over Texas on one of their migration routes south. Flocks are not always massive flocks of hundreds of birds, but a flock or 30 is well within range. Ironically, the migration V was flying directly over the 18/36 runways at DFW. It was beautiful to see natures air force  vectoring over and around one of the busiest airports in the world. Such a sight. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up along with the goosebumps on my arms.

Wishing a larger lens was in my bag but this does confirm the citing. Click on one of the images to enlarge.

They moved with the grace of an airliner as if they were on an approach frequency. Click on the image to enlarge.

What Do You Do In A Traffic Jam ?

This guy knows how to wait out a traffic jam on a hot summer day.

This past Wednesday, President Obama (with the help of Governor Rick Perry) created a traffic jam on the Dallas North Tollway that lasted more than an hour while the president's motorcade moved from Love Field to a prominent Dallas Attorney's home in North Dallas. The arrival of Air Force One at DFW International was a first for Obama, making him only the third sitting President to land at DFW.  Air Force One had not landed at DFW since 1992. From DFW, the president took Marine One, along with it's decoy look-alike and three Osprey's that carried the press corp to Love Field.  The reason for the switch: Love Field has been undergoing a major renovation of both terminals and runway/taxiways. The last time Air Force One landed at Love, the flight deck at DalFort Fueling was cramped, to say the least, but dodging yellow cones and barrels from the left hand seat of Air Force One, some seven stories up in the air, was like watching some test driver move in and out between cones in a zig-zag pattern along a test track that only a professional could handle.

The work that Love Field was undergoing on Wednesday was due to be finished in time for the arrival of Air Force One ( SAM 29000 ran late arriving as Air Force One anyway) and the work was finished, but at the time the schedule was put into place, the White House Staff for Schedule Making decided to land at DFW to error on the safe side. After all, it was  POTUS that was being juggled around in the schedule. As it ended up, the meeting with Governor Perry and others was held in one of the conference rooms at DalFort Fueling where Air Force One usually parks anyway.

The old neighborhood where mom had lived has changed a lot since she passed over. It's more youthful now. Many of the wonderful 1950-60 era sprawling one floor ranch-styles have been purchased up, torn down and rebuilt with McMansions, the process of reclaiming perfectly good neighborhoods and putting two story and still sprawling houses with both double and a single garage doors and roof lines that make Edgar Allen Poe's House of Seven Gables easy to count by today's standards.

On Wednesday, the neighborhood's  neighbors were all out in force to catch a glimpse of POTUS. I can recall doing the same thing when Carter, Nixon and Johnson had come to my neighborhood after I had left the nest and started my own family. Nothing in life really changes much, just the GPS points and neighborhood names and a little architecture meddling hear and there.

This was the first time out of the last six trips to the Metroplex that I have failed to go watch Air Force One arrive. Actually, I had planned to go over to the old neighborhood and do what all the old neighbors were doing--wait to catch a glimpse of the president. But, that would be worse than getting caught up in traffic snarls at either of the two airports, the tollway etc.,etc.

St. Michael Drive runs from Forest Lane near Medical City Hospital  to Royal Lane between US 75 Central Expressway to Hillcrest Avenue. At Royal Lane, St. Michael becomes Boedecker, continues to run south and ends in the new parking lot of the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Southern Methodist University. When ever I cross Boedecker to this day, I sing the word to the tune of "Gold-Finger!" by saying, Boe--Decker!-- is a street. It's just one of those things that I like to do. The area is just west and behind the JCC (Jewish Community Center) on Northhaven Road. Midbury runs one street north of Northhaven.


The part of the street were the president would be attending is  east of St. Michael on a cul-de-sac. I'm sure the Secret Service were pulling out their hair again because it is such a "dead end" type- area. It's one of the things mom liked about the neighborhood. She liked driving the back roads and she knew every angle of that neighborhood like the back of her hand. You never wanted to race her on the expressways. Just when you thought you had won--you looked up and saw the baby blue Buick  coming at you. She would park having gotten the right-of-way and all you could do was to pull in next to her (and laugh to yourself in defeat).

For now, there will be a count down to to the retirement of this SAM-29000 and the back-up. The bigger and more modern and upgraded 747-800 with the elongated second deck will await a new President in 2016. There has been talk of  a new Marine One and others in the detail. Most people get excited over a new car. I get excited over a new presidential plane. After all, it is the most visible source for our American Democracy on display where ever it flies. So make the best of presidential motorcade traffic jams!!

Airport Firemen at Work

One of the Big Boys rolling on an in flight emergency on final.

You can see the two big boys (21 and 22) and a regular ladder truck and supervisor car on the roll to the runway 13 where the emergency plane will be handled.
Click on any of the images to enlarge

We all dread looking out the window of a jet and seeing flashing lights on firetrucks lined up on a taxiways or runway, but those pieces of equipment and men that man that equipment are there to help whatever the emergency might be--even if it doesn't involve an aircraft. Today, it was for an aircraft that had an emergency on a 10-mile final at Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport.

A Pun Fully Intended

Everyone handles unwanted decisions in their own way. Some, have a more difficult time at it than others. I learned early on that you need to watch those that handle difficult decisions much more because they become your teacher on how to handle those decisions more effectively. Over the years, the common thread seems to be: Find the humor in a bad decision and laugh then move forward

This brings me to the most current and recent decision to rename the White Rock Marathon and begin immediately calling it the Dallas Marathon. I can see that.....but it doesn't make the decision any less painful for a lot of hard-working volunteers that love,The Rock! Not that they don't love the city any less, it's just a thing that grows on you over time. And, as in most cases, in time-----the Dallas Marathon will be the norm and good memories of the old days of running the rock will be memories for the grand kids and old friends.

I'm in training to run the Roc-------No,wait-----

December 9th, I'm running the Dallas Marathon!

So, for those of you who are having a bit of a hard time adjusting...... I found a little humor this week at White Rock that can lessen the burden of a decision already made.