If You Build Them, They Are Already Here.

First came the need for 40,000 additional new housing units. And those filled up. Then came the need for 40,000 more and the people were already here. And then...they built more, and more, and even more.Then came the P.G.A. (Professional Golf Association)  HQ with two new courses at the new HQs in the Metroplex. Toyota came, one of the big advertising firms came and then...Buc-ee's to gas-up and feed 'em all.

The big railroads created a north south and east west system for container shipments by rail. Dallas is in the cross hair with an inland port for containers. Called intermodals, meaning containers filled with goods that can be used for shipments using all three forms of transportation to move goods.  Ocean-going vessels then moved to railroads for double stacked per car then loaded directly only a semi truck frame.

The BNSF ships massive amounts of traffic from west to east to north to south connecting Canada, US and Mexico shipments. The  inland port in south Dallas receives containers from rail, stores and ships out by truck to the Gulf for shipments from Asia to the islands in the Caribbean Sea to South America, Iceland and Greenland. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia can also come cross Canada or the US. In short, besides good weather most of the time, Dallas  sits in the perfect spot for most everything in terms of business and living. Especially living as there is no personal income tax. 

Then came the need for even more services like parks, skate board parks, and wider streets than 6-lanes. More restaurants, more entertainment venues, faster trains, more trains, as the Metroplex hits 2.6 million with 1.3 in Dallas itself. 

Not Everything Is Revealed At A Grand Opening.

This Father's Day the city of Dallas held another big party on a bridge. The first one was the opening of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, the Santiago Calatrava designed cable-stayed bridge over the Trinity River. With connecting of downtown to west Dallas, new development soon followed.

This time, the party was held on the adjacent Continental Bridge that carried traffic across the Trinity for 85 years. After the transformation of the Continental Bridge was complete, it was opened Father's Day as the Continental Bridge Pedestrian Park and below it, the city opened the new Skyline Trail along and between the Trinity levees on both sides of the river.

The party also celebrated by serving a gourmet lunch on a 100 yard long table by 50 top chefs in Dallas. A 5 k run had been taken off below earlier in the morning. The turnout was a success for visitors, riders and runners.

Two weeks later, the new park brought out the fun stuff. The water jets that shoot streams of water into the air were working as was the misting stations and not just for the kids. A lady in her wheel chair was being pushed by a member of her family and all were having fun and laughs at getting wet. The separate misting stations have contour chaise lounges under them.

 While the chess board was seen at the opening, there are also tables with chess boards and checker boards inlaid in the tables and I had suspected that the squares on the deck were just to denote where the chess and checkers would be available. Wrong! beautiful, heavy wooden chess pieces were out on the squares at this visit. They were stunning! Beautiful wood. Lacquered finishes that shined in the sun. Amazing. They are designed for a game of stand up chess.

The opponent: Black in color with the same high gloss look.

Father's Day Opening Luncheon on the bridge.

Wild Animal Verdict

The official word from the lead manager at Parks and Recreation  on the "Wild Animal" sign is that up North (Plano and Frisco) there are many bob cats that have been reported being seen moving South, but he didn't think that they are inclusive to this sign. It was meant to include raccoons,skunks,opossums and copperheads but  a bob cat could wonder in from time to time.

Weekend images will be posted up by Sunday evening. 


Here's an image that I haven't posted from the last Presidential trip into Love Field, August,2011

Charleston Air Force Base Transport that flew in the Presidential Limo, Ambulance and Secret Service vehicles. These guys don't get the glory and attention  that Air Force One attracts. These are a great bunch of guys. For many years I flew into Charleston from Atlanta and could always count on that flight being full with men and women returning to base.When the Charleston direct kicked back to a one-stop at either Augusta or Savannah, we were always ahead on arrival time. The equipment was always the biggest and the best, too.