Velvet Taco for Dinner, Out all afternoon at Presidential Center's Nature Trails

 Well, the perfect fall weather day finally was at hand. It was a delight to be out in that type of weather. 

It never crossed my mind that today was the final weekend of the Texas State Fair at Fair Park and the buses and most of all, the trails were loaded with bodies going to the fair. So, some of the schedules were a bit off as it takes the non-regular riders more time to figure out what to do at the station. Well, you start by getting your gear ready and ready to move when the train stops and the doors open.  Anyhow, there was a bit more time lost because of that than anything else and I made it to Mocking bird station by riding a bus and a train to get to Mockingbird. Saw some SMU video crews outside the Angelica. Stopped to chat with one of the girls about what was going on. The SMU students had made a movie and it was being premiered at the Angelica. On to SMU via Bush Avenue to enter the Nature Trails of the George Bush Presidential Center. The nature trails cover the entire south end of the property from SMU St. and Bush Ave. to the southbound service road of the North Central Expressway (US75) which had that section named for George Bush as well. Then, its across the shopping center on Mockingbird to Bush to complete a few acres of property.

Last year was the first year to check out the plantings and this year have been looked forward to,to see how much the annuals had grown and what was new for this season. It was somewhat a surprise to see 6-7 foot tall golden rods. Wow, the allergies of students, faculty and nearby residents will love that as well as the  docs  who make their living by treating patients with allergies. While they are very pretty for color, Going there was a total surprise with that straight out the gate. 

After walking two of the trails (they all come back together from south to east and west sides of the center) the landscape was pretty but I was a bit disappointed to find so much of those golden rods. If it hadn't been for the large Monarch Butterflies surrounding the tennis courts and the La Cross field, it might had been a bust. At Mockingbird station retail sections pumpkins had been on sale. But when I was there the remaining pumpkins and hay bales were being given away to those that wanted them. 

Instead of walking back to Mockingbird or catching one of the free shuttles from the Center back to the trail station, I walked up SMU toward Greenville Avenue, then decided to stop at the Velvet Taco to have dinner. Then, I watched for the buses but missed all of them and ended up back at the Lovers Lane Rail Station on foot. So with that, I have now walked the distance from Lovers Lane to Mockingbird in both directions; then caught the train to my regular stop and then my bus home. It was so nice I might 

 

do something like that tomorrow. As far as the weather goes, it doesn't get much better than this. Low tonight will be 48°F and 73°F during the afternoon tomorrow. Clear and blue sky.

 

                                  Fruit tree produced fruit this year.                              

Monarch Butterfly stops to refuel on its migration to the mountains of North Mexico for the winter.

The Discoveries Continue

 Now that the final surgery is behind me, I had wondered just how long it would take before I could regain what I had accomplished just before my surgery. As  I have reported,  my daily walks had increased and been maintained at 5-miles per day. Then, I got the call from the surgeon that I had been scheduled for the last of my surgeries that never got finished since last November because of the pandemic. As our great Governor had halted surgeries, it was costly to me in many ways besides financial. The absolute worse Governor Texas has ever had cost me something that can never be replaced. Psychologically, the damage has been a lot to bear and I am working to put even that, behind me, now. Missing part and all.

Yesterday, I put on my pre-packed backpack and headed to the bus stop. Then, on to the rail station. As it turned out, I had planned to go North, but ended up going South. I had just missed a train. Getting off short one stop before where I had planned, there is a walk alongside the tracks (safely, of course) that goes into the new Trail System that tied into the Katy Trail. It is that part of the new multi-million dollar cable stayed bridge that crosses Mockingbird Lane and the SMU/Mockingbird Station complex. About two miles from where I got off at Mockingbird. The discoveries that I made along the way were very much like I have been making over the past years from my shoot wheel. Just before my surgeries, I had discovered that from the bus and the trains, I could pretty much match that old wheel that I had made from my car. Knowing now that I duplicate it, if not increase it, the joy that I get from photography was satisfied enough that I could pretty much count on it being sustainable. 

Sure, I ran into a couple of little detours that are part of a large construction project, but that was okay. I can live with those little short falls. When finally able to board the train, once again, I headed North. I was bound and determined to go to the Parker Road Station, the end of the Red and Orange Lines. Along the way, I also noted some places that I will return to---mainly, Downtown Plano. The others will be at the renamed Pres. Geo Bush which has been renamed City Line because of the State Farm Office Complex that is thriving with business, retail, restaurants and trail systems. I'm thinking already that the spring of 2021 should be good-to-go. Hopefully. One never knows today. 

On the way back South, I got off at my regular train stop to catch my bus home. I knew something was wrong from the very start. The buses were not hitting like they should and there seemed to be some kind of confusion going on. Even the platform clocks that announce the different lines arrivals had stopped, dead. Long story shorter, the bus that I normally catch was over an hour and a half late. On the way home, when I finally did catch the bus, we passed it sitting on the side of the road. It had, for some unknown reason, been emptied out and even the driver was gone. These types of things will happen on the bus and rail systems also. Just like a well maintained car can stop running for some unforscene reason. After all, it was Halloween.

                                                                               Beauty

                                                                             Mischevious