Today was one of those days where if misinformation were a dog bit, I would have had broken skin. Now, it is not that much of a deal, but it travels down the line of thought that my brother and I have been concurring on for some time. When I set out this noon, my plans were to go to Firewheel. It's a stand alone shopping center of businesses more like a town square than a retail mall, if you will. The problem is that there are fairly new in the South, but in the Great Lakes, they have been around for nearly a quarter century.
Firewheel I like. But since the days of no car, It just never occurred to me that I would be able to go there unless I rented a car. It's in far north Garland and Eastern Plano area. Then, last week, while at the Transit Center in North Garland, a small shuttle bus type pulled in to the Transit Center with Firewheel in its lighted banner window. Remembering that last night as I was thinking about where I would go today it came to mind that with this perfect fall weather for the next five days, it would be a perfect place to travel.
Long story shorter, I found myself on the bus joyfully riding to Firewheel. In the Town Center is a small park with fountains and the likes of such things and would make a perfect banner to use on the blog. Then, I kept waiting for the bus to make a stop, but no one got off. We rode some more and I am watching the signs, knowing where I wanted to go but the there is a "horseshoe that goes around the big box stores, like Dillards and Dick's Sporting Goods and I'm waiting for the driver to go down one of those entry points. The distance from the horseshoe into the area where I wanted was a bit of a walk. Soon,it was plain to see that Firewheel was done and that we were heading back to toward the Transit Center. Pulling up to the slot at the point were I had boarded the bus outbound, I was the last one off the bus. I thanked the driver for the tour. Then, it hit him and he said that the route does not go into the Town Center, we both laughed and bid each other a good day.
So now, I'm thinking I'll ride the 486 the short distance from the transit center and Rail Station to the square in downtown Garland. Then, I got to thinking, it is such a nice day, I'll go over the other side of the TC and check out the outdoor tree that is decorated. It's also a new ice cream shop and pushing mid-afternoon,it was perfect to get an ice cream cone and sit at one of the tables and plan the shots of the tree. As I'm getting the cone, I ask the clerk if I could take a picture or two of the tree outside since I had bought a cone. "Sure" came the reply. So, outdoors I headed, choose my table, sat down my backpack and umbrella walking cane. Then I noticed, the cone was lop sided. Next came the first drip of the melting ice cream onto my hand. I'm pretty good in keeping a dripping cone in check in a warm climate, but then, like a swish of cold water, it hit me. This is the last day of November.I'm outside eating an ice cream cone that is melting on its own accord because its 78 °F. This isn't right!
Finishing the cone, I got my images that I wanted and headed to the cross walk when the bus I wanted to take me to downtown was at the free-standing bus stop for all the buses not turning left. Great. Got to the square and first thing I noticed was a temporary fence installed all the way around the town square. My first though was that Christmas Decorations were going up. Then thinking, I've been down here after Thanksgiving and this was not part of the routine. Then, I recalled the media short flash announcement about the redevelopment the town square. As, I walked around the full expanse of the fencing, setting down in the sunken level were three information boards. Sadly,
The point of this post is this: One can plan all they want but not every thing turns out as planned. So,when it happens as it did to me today not once, not twice but three times, just laugh, chuckle or both and head to the barn. Tomorrow is another day.
