Good Signs After A Hard Winter, Thus Far

A few days ago, I went to check on the hive of bees that had swarmed in late fall along a trail were I do my cardiac walks. I was somewhat concerned that the coldest winter in 40 years might had taken a toll on the hive.  At first, I grew more concerned as there were not any bees coming and going from the hive. In the fall the bees had covered the entire knot-hole on the tree trunk. Soon, I began to see bees coming out of and going into the hive. In total there were not that many bees, but the hive was alive and well and the bees had survived the winter thus far. There are pictures in the archive if any of you  missed the initial post.

My second concern of winter's wear on wildlife were the Monk parrots that have an established colony of 70 to 80 birds. Today, I saw four. They looked very healthy and somewhat less noisy than in the past, but the missing birds of the colony were every evident. Most likely, more did survive but several people were telling me today that they had been looking for the Monks, too, but had only seen the same four that I had seen. In the past, I have read reports from New York and San Francisco that  had large colonies thinned out by mother nature but the strong had survived hard winters in the most unusual of places. I'm hoping that the WRL colony of Monks will venture back to the lake as the weather becomes more favorable toward Spring. While the little parrots are noisy, they are part of the character of the lake and missing them completely would be a loss no one wants to see.

The early part of the this coming week, it's time to see the cardiologist again. Last week, because of the ice and sleet and snow, the day before, I had cancelled my appointment because driving was not going to be worth the head aces. As it turned out, the weather was right on target and it was a nightmare avoided. This coming week it is going to be in the 70s. Spring is barking for the calendar to turn March!

Monk Parrots

Last falls colony numbered in the 70-80s. Today, there were only 4 sported.

 16/02/2014. Corrected for displacements.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Happy New Year to our loyal readers and those of you that have found our blog for the first time.

The loyal readers will notice a couple more ads from Zazzel as well as from Google. It's been a hard decision, but one necessary if this blog is to continue. The cost has reached the tipping point of either find additional income or shut down an essay in pictures from a freelance photographer. For the last five years, the cost has fallen totally on this photographer with out complaint. But, as mentioned earlier, additional income to cover the cost of operations is now, not an option, but a critical choice.

Cameras must be cleaned professionally, lens and camera bodies need to be upgraded as technology improves. The cost of operating a car has always been just a fact of life. Now, gas and maintenance has become a major expense, even riding the trains as much as possible. The cost of this web site annually and the cloud storage for the images is also rising.

As I have had fun with a little competition between Hotdog, my cat, and me during the holiday period when I would joke and say, " Now go buy something, Hotdog needs the sales", I can now honestly say, "Now go buy something. We both needs the sales!"

Other options will continue to be explored. And, this blog will continue to provide you, our readers, with copy and images. There sometimes my be more copy than images. It will be a  day-to-day adjustment.

Regardless, we cherish our readers and those that drop by accidentally. These are the methods of transportation we have considered during the past year, don't you see?

NASA's lease payment is far to expensive.

This guy was most gracious to let us photograph him at the St. Pat's Parade last year on Greenville Avenue. Little did I know he was the real thing. He doesn't provide commercial transportation, however.

This guy only works at one speed and would cost to much to charter for the day.

This one is retired permanently, now.

The Story Tellers of White Rock Lake

If trees could talk, there are a few trees at White Rock that have probably seen it all from  their growth  stand. It occurred to me not long ago that another severe ice storm like we just dodged, or straight-line winds could bring these old story tellers down to the ground and reduce their massive, scared trunks to firewood.

There is a story about the old Pecan tree that stands on the Cole farm in Highland Park that is decorated every year. KERA has run the story as fillers many times over the course of its creation. But  people that live around the lake; regular visitors to the lake or even a one-time visitor visiting family here in Dallas looking for some place neat to sight see, also notice some of these old haunting trees with their rabbit-holed trunks. Their twisted, sometimes sawed off, even bent, and mangled branches have their own character that are just as old as the Cole pecan tree, if not older in some cases.

The project sprang up when I was looking for something of significance to shoot at White Rock Lake. First, one thinks of buildings. Some good, some bad, but they have been shot over and over and over .Eventually, the list came to be titled, "old trees"  The odd thing is that during the summer, when leafed out, it's easy to miss some of the character of the tree itself. But, in late fall and early winter when the leaves start to fall and branches are bare, one can see the real beauty of the tree from an age stand-point. The character just blossoms.
Here are just a few of what I found today.

The trunk is split from the base up the trunk for nearly 15-feet.I would guess that a lightening strike hit the tree more than just once.



The trunk is straight but it has been mutilated by weather, disease or lightening.

Another tree that has overcome lightening strikes, wind damage, and who knows what else.

These old trees have a ghostly character that only age can bestow on this old story-teller. The wood would be interesting to inspect. Old wood like this is filled with so much character, no wonder people search the planet for old trees like these for a variety of reasons. Many, just walk by the old tree and never notice its character at all.
 

Dallas Prepares for the 50th Anniversary of the Assination of President John F. Kennedy

Originally, I had wanted to attend the 50th Anniversary ceremonies to be held on Friday, November 22. Of course, the city limited who can attend. Never-the-less, in this day and age, I understand the city's concerns I just don't understand why they stop people from remembering someone that changed this country. Especially on such a historical day. Jackie's dress won't be released to the public for viewing until 2116 or some date I won't live to see. I could have seen this one, however.

So yesterday, I tried to stay away from downtown but my car just kept steering me to go take a look at Dealey Plaza, although I have seen it hundreds of times before. I was surprised to see empty parking meters within a block on Houston Street. When I started to drop quarters, I was even more surprised. Twenty-five cents gets you 12-minutes of time on the meter. Now I know why the meter spaces were empty. One hour of time was a big $1.20 for up to two hours (if I dropped another $1.20 behind the first). It's not bad overall. Some of the garages get more as do some of the lots for all day parking. The Sixth Floor Museum was charging $5.00 at their lot.

It was a good thing. There was a group of Asian businessmen touring with their American host. People were thick. Some guy coming down Elm Street near where the "X" is marked on the street was blowing his horn at the tourist. My mother would say, "there is always one in the crowd to put a bad image on all the good." People did look up from their conversations and I did see a few shake their heads.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the fences and barriers start to go up. The extended weather forecast for Friday doesn't look good, either. Cold, windy with gust to 25 Mph, rainy. If you believe in Karma, then Mayor Mike Rawlings has got some bad Karma for limiting who can come to the ceremony! I have only met him once. Tom Lepert , was a more likable  figure. As a former CEO of Turner Construction, the man knew how to plan, budget, build and lead. While Mayor Rawlings  is okay as a person, the best way to describe him is that the former CEO of Pizza Hut left off the peperoni on his pizzas.

Yes, I said earlier that I understood why the ceremony had to be limited to some degree. But to me, it's like putting the cart before the horse.

Looking at The Texas Book Depository from Commerce Street

50 years ago, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge wasn't there.

 

A Special Thank You to All Ruibal's Employees at Love Field

The absolute best group of people. They are the best!

With  location at Love Field , Lakewood and Farmer's market.

Go visit them soon!  I spent some time talking to a Dallas landscaper while waiting for the President to arrive at Love Field. He and his wife said that they will not shop  anyplace else for their landscape needs. The staff at the Love Field location are the best!

600 Months After JFK

Downtown Dallas was abuzz with people from all over the globe yesterday. While the larger crowds seemed to be at Dealey Plaza,naturally, the crowds are only going to increase over the next several weeks. City Hall drew people from LA taking pictures of the flags on the plaza. Five different  Quinceaneras  and their Court of Honor filled the area of Pioneer Plaza where the cattle drive bronzes cross the stream. It was a mix of tourist and locals all intermingled in the way it is supposed to be.

The tour business was active, too. Three stretch limos were unloading and reloading. An entertainment bus did the same. Then came the escorted tour of segways  followed by the little red trolley that advertised "see Dallas in 75 minutes". The heart beat of Dallas on Saturday was, without doubt, in downtown.

The  couple from LA said that they had been on a tour of AT&T Stadium (Cowboys) in Arlington earlier. They ask about restaurants. While I usually don't recommend , I mentioned a couple from high end down to just good cooking. Others had also recommended the good cooking and they reached their decision right there on City Hall plaza under the flag poles and headed out to have their dinner at Sonny Bryant's. The traveling were also traveling while visiting Dallas but they were eating, as well. That translates into tourist dollars and I don't know a Chamber of Commerce anywhere that doesn't like that concept.

Traffic on North Central Expressway ( NCX, 75, Central Expressway) was at a crawl from the High 5 south to North Park. 635 LBJ was a mess because of the final paving occurring on the new re-do from Coit to Preston Road. It will be the first stretch of the 11 mile project to be complete. Is it going to help? Most likely not. I don't think traffic in Dallas will ever catch-up with the growth. And imagine if the DART Rail wasn't at the stage it is currently. The only think keeping pace with the traffic is DART Rail and TRE to Ft. Worth and A-Train connects to Denton. In the perfect world, DART would already be running out of DFW (although this time next year they will be about to turn the key) and neither the TRE or DART would have a line running in Arlington where both cities could ride to a Rangers, Cowboys, Six Flags day and leave the parking where the car is--at home!  But, I suspect that the parking vendors and others don't want that. It is a capitalistic society that we live in today. The political arms still pull the strings and pulls them when  they want them pulled.

From an observation point, Dallas is ready for the 50th Anniversary of JFK's death here in Dallas. I would have liked to have attended the ceremony, but I didn't have the luck in the drawing for tickets. There have been only three events that I can recall where I was at the exact moment the event occurred. JFK's shooting, Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon and the attack on the World Trade Center buildings.  JFK: I was in my high school history class 1200 miles away when the CBS report came across the intercom; the moon landing: I was crossing the Ohio River at Cincinnati and the attack on the World Trade Center: I was at the mail box on my way to work when one of my neighbors ask if I had been watching the reports on television. But, it is the JFK weekend that found me glued to the television and actually seeing Lee Harvey Oswald being shot on television by Jack Ruby. Today, when I pass any of those buildings, Parkland, the old police station on  Harwood, or Dealey Plaza, it still brings back that entire time frame of mourning and disbelief and the stunning and shocking fact that our President had been killed.

I ask this question two years to late!

All this leads to one simple question of though. We all have seen the spot where Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on board the president's plane and I wondered if that spot was ever actually reported on  a map or some historic sign that LBJ became President on this spot? Realizing, of course, that it is inside the secure area of Love Field, I've never heard a report of where that plane was parked while the president was in his motorcade. I know where Air Force One parks at Love Field in modern time, but where did they hanger the plane at Love Field on that fateful day in November 50 years ago this month? It appears now that someone did ask that very question but not until two years ago for the first time since that deadly day.

 I'm just two years late on this one, but that is still enough to keep me in the running for asking "historical" questions! I'll settle for that. Staff Writer David Flick of the Dallas News did an article on 21 November 2011. According  to that, I was just under two years, then. Some 48-years passed without anyone asking the question. Ironically, it was a photograph that led to the actual spot at Love Field being located in gps coordinates for history sake.

One of many limos arriving and departing Pioneer Plaza for quinceaneras and their court of honor

Tourist were arriving and departing the area in large numbers

A Rose from the Rose Garden of Perkins Chapel  at the Joe & Lois Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in memory of JFK

Two Magazine Covers

 At one time, on my office wall, hung two Time Magazine Covers that had been well framed. They were on the wall facing my desk and the one to my left faced inward as did the one on the right. They provided inspiration and  helped fuel that "go get  'em " drive that you have when in your younger years.  The two men. On the left was Lee Iacocca after bringing Chrysler out of bankruptcy. On the right was T. Boone Pickens. Oil man.

To this day, I hold both in high esteem. I liked what they stood for and what they accomplished in their business careers. At times, I would drive by Ford's World Headquarters in Southfield, Michigan, and think about the mustang and Lee Iacocca. It was years later that I also realized that he had also created the Pinto that had a faulty gas tank. Today, here in Dallas, I drive by the many places that have T. Boone Pickens'   name on the outside of the buildings.

Yesterday, while getting in my cardiac walk, I walked around an area that is hard to photograph because of parking. What to my surprise did I discover but yet, another building about to go up that will carry the name of T. Boone Pickens. I'd have to declare T. Boone the Ever Ready  Bunny of those two magazine covers forty years hence.


It is a Hospice  Care Center

They Are Percherons, Not Clydesdales

Breeds of horses have always interested me. I'm not speaking about the breeds that stud the horses we all watch come down the stretch on the south side of Eastern Avenue in Louisville the first Saturday in May. I'm speaking of the breeds similar to what we see in the Budweiser commercials, especially during the holidays, more Pomp and Circumstance. Notice that I said similar because I'm not talking about Clydesdale's from northern Scotland, either. Although, there is a place in my heart for the Clydesdale having enough Scots in my veins to stand my ground. My love has been for a breed that I don't always remember on the tip of my tongue, but comes to mind quickly when I ask, "What's the other breed like the Clydesdales?" Those that love the breed as much as I do are quick to say, Percheron !

Most think of the Clydesdale as being German, but they came from Scotland originally. They built, Australia, being exported there in large numbers early on. But the French lay claim over the argument of the Belgium that the Percheron are theirs.

Today, I ran into a couple of gentlemen that I have meet before. It's always a chance to see these beautiful animals and I just can't pass up the opportunity to stop and say," hey! "
 

Friends for life

Beautiful Percherons

Funeral Carriage Horses

The Fates Align in Tribute to the Big Boy 4018

I am not superstitious to much. Nor do I rule it totally out either. It seems to me that the fates are responding to the move of the Big Boy as a final tribute.Maybe. In case anyone  wondered, there is a full moon on the 20th. It probably would not come into play had the Big Boy moved last month or all the times beforehand, but, as fate would have it, it has been delayed almost every single time that there was  talk about a move being locked in as a "sure thing". It makes a good case for another dimension that lies neck and neck with the world that we know so well,or at least think we know so well.

The Big Boy did make it out of Fair Park. That is a fact. It didn't make it to Frisco. That, too, is a fact. Big Boy creaped  into Irving and firmly anchored on a siding under darkness. It was  a long day for the crew that didn't go far today. At approximately 10:50 this morning (Sunday,18th), the horn sounded and Big Boy with its braking units was slowly pulled out of Fair Park after a half century there. For the remainder of the day, it set in a freight yard off 175  and Scyene Road. Most of that time I sat in the Dallas,Garland and Northeast yard off Mockingbird. Three hours, in fact.Others came and went, mostly to check on the progress of a very much beloved piece of equipment once titled to the paper agent of the Union Pacific Railroad, created to hold such equipment as most transportation companies create. When certain types of equipment take on a life of their own, some see them as just a piece of equipment. Not so. The fates do control such life-like objects and things we humans don't fully understand. Those unexplained happenings are more real that we think. Once in a while, these objects play mind games with us humans. The Big Boy has an untold story to tell and it will tell that story in due time. Just wait and see.

Even the pictures of the departure from Fair Park had the Big Boy looking back on  Fair Park as it was pulled down the dead track to the main line of Union Pacific with a BNSF engine. True, it is the way that it had been put into the museum some 50-years ago, but it plays a part in the tale.

And to go neck and neck with another dimension,still, some will remember the young  motorcycle riders who shut down US 75 Central Expressway to honor one of their fallen cyclist a couple of years ago.

Big Boy looks back on Fair Park as it leaves it home of 50-odd-years.

They were seen on the road way above the Big Boy. Now tell me that there isn't fate at work here. I talked to my computer at work for years. I'd pat it on it's top and tell it how good it was. My computer always worked, while ever single computer in that office would need  a tech or geek or IT guy to get theirs working. Tell me equipment doesn't take on a life of its own.

As one of the breaking cars arrives in Irving with Big Boy, a near full moon looks down.

A group of young cyclist that shut down US 75 to pay respects to a fallan cyclist appears above the tracks where Big Boy weyes near Lamar Avenue.

 

Run This Through My Herr-Voss

When you see "Run This Through My Herr-Voss" it's  a way to say that I've got something on my chest that I need to get off.

Yesterday afternoon,  with the temps going back into the triple digits again,  even the cat was trying to push me out the door for a little while. Since I had a low tire (a down side to front-end drives) I set out to see my friend,Jamal. He operates a stop and shop with gas and an air machine. Also, he had found a new Mediterranean restaurant from our visit of last week and I wanted to touch base with him as to when he wanted to go for dinner.

 On the way home, my eye caught a large ground movement in an area that is mowed regularly by the city and I slowed down enough to see a very large Red Tail hawk on its prey. I drove to the parking area, got out the camera and walked back along the road several hundred yards. This was the second big Red Tail that I have seen in as many months. Last month, I posted one on a squirrel dinner. This one had the same taste buds. One thing for sure, Red Tails keep the squirrel populations in check.

While watching this amazing bird feast on its kill, keeping movement down is always essential if you want to observe the food chain at work and learn about urban life of such amazing birds. The traffic is in a residential area but its on the edge of a popular park. Looking out for traffic on my side of the road and maintaining an eye on the bird, this one car was coming back and forth and pulled into  a near driveway. Thinking it was the property owner, I didn't pay much attention to the car beyond that. A bit later, along came a girl and two guys walking two dogs on the other side of the creek. There wasn't much concern with that in as much as they presented little disturbance with the creek between them and the Red Tail. In a split second, the people follow the dogs down into the creek and the lady in the car comes forward in a fast walk with camera in hand. Both converged on the hawk from both directions. Fear had already registered in my brain what was about to happen. Sure enough, the Red Tail stirs anxiously, stands at full tallness and the wings come out in lift-off position. Sure enough, it took flight with the squirrel that wasn't finished. It flew across another street into a wooded area that is part of a flood plane and wet land. No use looking for the hawk, I didn't feel like running from cottonmouth snakes!!

Here is the "RUN THIS THROUGH MY HERR-VOSS".
Some people are so self-centered, they have no respect for others in public areas. The lady had no clue what was about to happen. She actually thought that she was going to get as close as I had gotten to the Red Tail. And, she might have had a 60/40 chance had she been aware of the dogs on the other side of the creek.

As far as the people with the dogs, they were young 20-somethings and didn't care what a old man with a camera in his hand might be observing on the fringe of a park known for its wildlife-in-Urban splendor. The young couple and friend and the lady with her point-and-shoot in hand immediately backtracked in the other direction when the hawk took flight. It was like watching to cue ball on a billiard table hit to balls at once and one goes to the left pocket and one goes to the right pocket. They knew what they had done. People don't know how to share common space with others who might be enjoying nature  while they occupy or consume their afternoon with no purpose in mind.

Earlier, a business owner had come by, pulled off the road quietly, sat in his Jeep and watched the hawk, got out his camera and snapped a couple of shots. I walked across the road to talk to him. He lives in the area and had experienced the  same two American Bald Eagles seen in the area earlier in the year like me. The point being, you got three people stopping. One can share the common public land with another while the other two groups have no clue how to share nature and respect the observers as well as the feeding animal or fouls. That's what "ruffled my feathers" or as and old steel man would saw: "Run This Through My Herr-Voss".

Here are a couple of pictures from of the beautiful tail feathers of a Red Tail hawk.

 

Update,Currently and Finally

UPDATE:  The Solar Impulse flew an unexpected leg of its flight because of the weather conditions. After taking off from St. Louis' Lambert Field, it was scheduled to fly on to Dulles International in the Virginia countryside outside Washington,D.C. Instead, it landed in Cincinnati, Ohio for 16 hours and is en route to Dulles at this writing. There was a pilot change made also. It appears someone needed to eat a big steak on the ground in that 16-hours,too! Go to their website to find out who had the steak. https://www.solarimpulse.com. From Washington, they will make the last leg on to New York JFK before packing up and heading home to Switzerland. It was an adventure to meet Bertrand and Andre while they were at D.F.W.International.

CURRENTLY: I am doing some research on the difference between a muskrat and a nutria. Some seem to think what I have been seeing is a nutria. Others, agree, that I have seen a muskrat. Either way, whether it's a nutria or a muskrat, I've always called them muskrats. So, the only way to settle this in my mind is to research it completely and then report the findings. Stay tuned. The picture is of the beast in question. Some,most likely, will just call it a big rat. Again, stay tuned.

FINALLY: The picture of the three men has a rather interesting story that goes along. When it is hot, my appetite drops off drastically. Lunch is usually something very light and ever since I was a kid, I enjoyed sitting at a picnic table overlooking water. My errands usually end up either at Bachman Lake or White Rock Lake during the summer. If it's Bachman, then it's Whataburger. If it's White Rock, it's either Chili's to Go or McDonald's ( I know-there is a big difference in those two!)This past week, it was McDonald's. While sitting at the picnic table, I could see three men in a canoe and they were having one rough time paddling. The canoe was going one side and then the other and they were loosing ground for any forward motion rapidly.

Next, I noticed that not any of the three men were wearing a life vest or jacket. That is always a concern in any water activity. For nearly an hour, these guys were struggling. Then, as if by a guiding hand, they managed to get near enough the shore that one of the men got out. Shortly, there were two in the canoe and they were heading toward where I was sitting. There was a boat dock less than 100 yards away.

As it turns out, originally, three miles down the lake toward the dam, they had found the canoe sitting at a boat dock. On one of the seats under a rock, was a napkin that read: FREE CANOE. The guys said that they couldn't resist a ride on a hot afternoon. They climbed in and with only sticks of limbs that had washed up around the dock, they used those for paddles.

When, I had seen them near the shoreline, they had, indeed, let out one of the others who had realized how unsafe it was and decided to walk around the cove to the boat dock where he would rejoin the others. One of the guys had been to the Ukraine and Turkey and was sporting a shirt from Australia.

I did submit the images to a Live News Feed and they were posted later that evening.

The Adventurers at White Rock Lake

Some say,Muskrat.Some say, Nutria. Time to do some research.

 

Just Gone Fishin', Maybe

Just Gone Fishin'

Time changes how we look at something.

We have all seen the signs, Just Gone Fishin'. I remember a friend of my dad that finally started dating after his wife had passed away from cancer. She worked in a hospital and everyone in town kidded her about dating with a sign on their cars that said the familiar saying. I was just 7 or 8 at the time but I still remember how funny it was then.

But what do you do when you find the fishing place and it looks like no one is home?  Just Gone Fishin' or just playing hookie!

Fair Park is Much More than Elitch Gardens--Maybe.

The Entrance to the Midway for the Summer Opening

Plastiki on display in front of the Hall of State Building

The new Top O'Texas on the left of the Texas Star.Actually, it's behind the Texas Star.

The Cotton Bowl with a crane still in place from my last trip to Fair Park.

One of the many Art Deco Buildings at Fair Park.

Swan paddle boats at Swan Lake on the lagoon.

Fair Park, this Friday night, May 3rd, kicks off something it has never done.It will open the midway for the summer on Saturday, May 4th.. The new ride, Top O' Texas, the 500 foot observatory up and down wheel will give a view of Fair Park and surrounding areas, including downtown Dallas.

It has long been an unanswered question why the City of Dallas has quasi-turned its back on Fair Park in favor of the Trinity River Corridor Project. Sure, they have pumped a few million bucks into Fair Park upgrades, when the place could be drawing in tons of convention dollars nearly year round and  there is so  much more to Fair Park than just the Cotton Bowl. Don't get me wrong. I have etchings on my heart for the Cotton Bowl, the old parades that were a Thanksgiving-- or was it Christmas-- tradition. It was the emerald of the jeweled crown that the city had with Fair Park.

Many years ago, Elitch Gardens  in Denver, was a fun summer place to go. That was, before the original EG moved from its historic home of 38th and Tennyson Street. It was between the old Stapelton Airport and downtown. At approximately 70 acres, the park was a major attraction when you visited Denver. You had not been to Denver unless you went to Elitch Gardens. Long story short, with many ownership changes over the years including an ownership under the Six Flags brand, it has managed to survive with a 20 acre water park but not like the crowds of the old park. By-the-way folks, Elitch Gardens opens its 2013 season on May 4th also.

Yesterday, I walked the entire length of Fair Park's approximately 177 acres down one side and back along the lagoon and IMAX building to the parking area east of gate entrance no.5 which is across from the Texas Discovery Gardens. I'm thinking to myself, Music Hall is full for a performance, a flea market is going on, the Old Mill Restaurant has a good size crowd, people are coming out of the Discovery Gardens. The city ownes water parks. Why don't they have one at Fair Park? Amid all the questions that were left unanswered was the most pressing question: Will Fletcher's be selling their corny dogs,too?

 

The Bush Center Opens Thursday

The West Side is the entrance to the Bush Institute. The North Side is the entrance to the library.  The tall building to the East and at the south end is the Merrill Lynch building just North of Mockingbird Station  on the East side of Central Expressway.

The landscaping is native Texas wildflowers. To the South there are several acres with winding paths that allow one to walk through the large garden.

From an architectural standpoint, the addition fulfills the general theme of SMU architecture.The red brick and white coping doesn't seem out of place with the construction of several new 5-story dorms across the street.

The George W. Bush Presidential Library and the Bush Institute open this Thursday on the eastern side of the SMU campus. Security was already tight today and the massive stage for the 15,000 guest only who are forecast to be in attendance were being set up.
It is being reported that there will be all five living US Presidents along with former British PM Tony Blair.The security will be tight and with invitation only for the guest, it's going to be difficult at best to even photograph from  Mockingbird.
Hopefully, later on in late Spring, maybe some images of the  large field of Texas Wildflowers will be able to be photographed.

The public will be admitted beginning May 1,2013.
 

It's Getting To Be That Time of Year Again

A White Rock Wedding by Glendine of Dallas

This is one of my favorite images because it is not only a beautiful setting, but because of the planning and the organizing and the great anticipation of love and joy, and happiness that is represented.

Click on the image for details on ordering this image as a print,framed or wrapped canvas.

The Last to Go for Buckingham

This is immediately behind the former city of Buckingham marker.

Normally the trees marked to be cut is an orange ribbon. Don't know if the pink means the same--however, all the trees are marked with pink so they will probably all go or all remain. Stay tuned for the update.

The thick brush in front of the truck is next to the Walgreen's. To the right goes toward the Kroger store and the gated soccer fields.

The old Texas city of Buckingham was annexed into the city of Richardson more than a few years ago. The area has developed very well. There are a few empty lots left here and there but one large track of 7 acres was spread out between the Walgreen's and the Kroger store and was always interesting to watch red-tailed hawks and a pair of peregrine falcon feed on the pigeons that hang out in the little shopping center around the Kroger store. It also abuts the actual marker that marked the official city of Buckingham before the annexation.

The brush and the trees that were around when the main part of Buckingham existed were always enjoyable for people to walk their dogs and people who liked to watch the animals and birds that existed. Several weeks ago a sign went up that the track was up for sale and it was only a matter of time before the last large track of land with old generation trees existed in the area would go the way that all the other land had meet the same fate at the hands of developers.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a total tree hugger. I understand development. The overall process, when you put the money factor in a separate basket for discussion, actually is what makes a city grow. It is also one of the freedoms we enjoy and  selling land, for what ever reason, is still one of the great freedoms we enjoy in this country. As an urban photographer, it is of interest to me to document what was before no one remembers what was!

There were two surveyors out today marking trees and sticking flags so work will be starting soon. My concern about that is that my shortcut to the pharmacy and the grocery store will be disrupted for about fourteen months, or so.  

The Neighbors at the Parade Recovered

Great Group of Good Young People Who Respect Their Elders!

My barricade neighbors that were mentioned during the week long posting of pictures from the Dallas St. Patrick's Parade became a lost image. After a little bit of work the image was able to be recovered and I am pleased to be able to post it now. Thanks guys! And should one of you see the post, please let the others know that it is now up on the blog.

Have a Happy Easter!

The Trains at Fair Park Are Thinning

The next consist to move at month's end

The brakes are being rebuilt.

The Big Boy on the left. Over 1 million pounds of steel!

     The old trains at the former Museum are just about gone. The next big consist is being readied to move across the Union Pacific tracks out of Fair Park to the BNSF yard in Irving before being moved those final miles to the new Museum at Frisco. Looking at what's left, shows the years of neglect while on display at Fair Park.
     Of course, the Big Boy move will be the last to go. It is the biggest locomotive under steam that I have ever seen. I must say that. This is the one that everyone has been waiting to see on live rail again. The enjoyment of seeing an old steam locomotive under it's own power moving on the tracks is still exciting. To see this locomotive under it's own power will be an experience of a life time.
     Meanwhile--here are a few pictures from Fair Park. There are a couple taken from the other side of a chain link fence and the slight grey blur is the camera's reaction to the object in the lens. The Facebook page for the museum is saying that the move will be March 31. That's a Sunday and the TRE will not be running. That means that the trip should have live rail free from traffic to move to Frisco. It would not be expected to have this piece of equipment sitting on a yard siding at Mockingbird or Irving yard. It would be assumed that it will move non-stop from Fair Park to Frisco in one move. That is, of course, just an assumption. There is a little bit of politics being played out by a few and that always spoils the broth some.

Friends and Neighbors at the Barricades

My barricade neighbors had a wireless speaker and it provided some pretty cool music  while waiting for the parade.

A bunch of good kids.

Just as you have seat friends when you go to a Mavs game or a Cowboy's game, at a parade, you have neighbors and friends along a barricade. It was lucky for me to have some good neighbors at the St. Patrick's Parade this past Saturday. The sad part is that at the end, they all posed for a group picture. It was one picture too many as I had shot a SD chip and didn't realize until I was on the train that I had missed the best shot! Luckily, I had some candid shots while the crowds pinned us between the sidewalk and the barricade on the street. One of the group does have a group picture----they got on their cell phone. If you e-mail it to me, I'll  post it addendum to this post. Meanwhile, after tonight, I have one last day of images to post.

Yup! It looks just like the image above but it's not!

 

Nearing the End of the Parade Post

Bagpipes and Firemen!

The Irish Flag in the middle

The other Irish Flag in the middle

Another year of published St. Patrick's Parade pictures is nearing the end. It has been a labor of love because I do enjoy capturing a few precious moments of  a celebration. Since I don't shoot weddings, I make up for it with the Children's Christmas Parade and the St. Patrick's Parade. Then, it's time for the Dragon Boat and Kite Festival, Plano Balloon Festival, Memorial Day Program at a local cemetery, There are  always festivals that fill in the balance of the calendar year.

So, as the St. Patrick's Parade comes to a close for another year, it is a hope that every one has enjoyed the parade highlights.