Found More Big Trees Down Today

The tree was somewhat diseased for sure but it's always amazing to me the directions that they fall. Not as expected and one of the reasons that I can't be found at the lake in super high wind days. If you have ever heard that sound of a cracking tree and then the quck and sudden plop and vibration on the ground, big trees and high winds don't mix. To see people parking their cars right under these monsters, it's only a matter of time before one drops on a car some where.

Even  Found one of the Kestrel Hawks Hanging Out

Although I got a late start today, I still made a shortened trip to the lake by mid afternoon. The sky had started to clear away from the clouds that came with the cold front that was pushing through dry. The wind did return, however. It blew Texas dust into South Dakota and Minnosota where it landed on top of the fresh snow as a brown coating. Imagine that!

I found more big trees that had been toppled by the strong winds of yesterday and discovered a few things as well. It appears that a pair of wood ducks were 15 feet up in a big tree right under our noses and when the branch cracked and fell, mother wood duck flew in and the chicks all bailed out of the tree, bouncing on the ground and waddling off with mom to the lake. Several people saw the event unfold and I think that I just had missed it by a few minutes according to my source that was only a few feet away when the limb cracked and dropped and then the ducks jumped out onto the ground 15 feet below. That's the thing with wood ducks and has always amazed me that the chicks do that as just a happening in nature. It's what they do!

Any now, that they survived, I have to watch and see where they will be swimming. It does concern me some as I had just witnessed the day before a big diamond-backed snake deliver what seemed to be dozens of little snakes that are now roaming for food in that same area. I know, that its part of natures way but I just hate to see cute little ducks disappear one by one until they are much larger. Also, area hospitals have reported their first snake bite of the season already. People, snakes are crawling. Don't go walking through the grass in flip flops.

Once again, the trees are on both sides of the lake. Some more prominent than others as far as being noticed. Parks will get them out of the way in due course. They have so many things going on right now including mowing and tree branch pick up.They do such a great job at keeping the lake in great condition for the size of it.

I'm back to gas rationing with the price of gas at $2.699. It means the number of spokes on the wagon wheel  will either be cut back, cut out or not be visited near as often. Right at the time when the summer shoot schedules are about to kick off, it just might have to be cancelled. And, once again, the threat of closing the website has some long shadows cast on it already.

Next to the Big Thicket Cottage

Things Happening In Garland Today

Last nights storms stripped the leaves off one of my trees where it beat it up against the bricks. The one restraint came off which allowed the wind to whip the tender new leaves into the bricks.It will recover, but it was a surprise to see the damage. I did measure the new growth on all three trees and they have officially hit 13-inches already for this season in new growth. Amazing.

The wind continued to blow with gust hitting 27 MPH and sub-stained winds of 20 MPH. It was 10:30 this morning when I hit the road. This is the spoke of the wheel that takes me the most far from the house. At the end of the day when I pulled back into the drive at dinner time, 84 miles had been racked up. With gas at $2.44 (and I paid $2.33 for this tank last week). The reports all say that gas will be close to, or hit, $3.00 per gallon this summer. AARGH!!!

The growth just isn't stopping in the Metroplex. Things are changing so much. Green meadows of the past are now black rooftops. Hundreds of them. The realty news reported that there are 37,000 apartments under construction. There are actually more than that as zoning had been re-approved from 3 floors or 4 floors to 5 and in some cases 6. They never report those increases. It's just the initial unit counts on the permits. The reason for the longer trip is that I do an exploration run about ever 6 weeks to 8 weeks. Finding new things, and seeing the changes from past trips. About three years ago, I started in Grapevine and took 121 NE ending up 22 miles beyond McKinney. When I was doing the marketing project for a Fortune 500 I had talked to a developer about how far they were looking at future development at that point in time for the next 10 years forward. He had stated that it would be 25 miles north of McKinney. The datestamp on that was in 2006. He wasn't off by much. And today, I started Greenville Avenue (SR5) and headed north cutting across on F&M 544 to SR78 in Wylie, then south to Sachse. I ended up first, in North Garland,where I stopped to see the Cowboys on Tour set up in the parking lot of a massive Academy Sporting Goods. Then on south on SR78 into Garland downtown to check on Heritage Celebration in the square, then a quick trip around the lake and back home.

I'll do pictures on Garland downtown tonight because of the restrictions, but there are 12 images running on the Live News Feed link on the side bar of this blog. Scroll down to the block black 'a'. There you can follow the instructions to view the images running. Remember that the clock starts on the live news feeds 48 hour cycle the moment that the block of images are released to the feed.

The wind was getting to me at one point and I went back to the car and had my snacks that I had packed.The sun was warm in the car. I can't take cold air that's wind driven. I never could. But it's not good on the heart, either. So I keep it in check without fail.

This couple were eating nuts purchased from one of the vendors dressed up as a drumstick. Kind of neat, actually.

The new grassy area that replaced the old Library and later, arts acting buildings was being set up for the music stage later on tonight. It's going down to 39-degrees. Might want a jacket and a heavy coat!!

The Foosball tables had been moved down to this end of the square and were being reset by the Garland Park and Recreation Workers. Got to have it level. Can't play Foosball with the bubble not in the center!!