Covid-19 #3 Booster and Flu shot Now Done.

After getting the servers back up, I ventured out to get my third boost of the Covid-19 vaccine and got my flu shot at the same time. Now, it is just playing the waiting game with Mother Nature for that first fall cold front that feels like fall. With yesterday evening being the official start of Fall, it was 98°F. Not the Great Lakes Falls that I remember. One of those was sitting out on my porch in a part of shorts and a hooded jacket with the cat curled up on my lap. He loved cold weather too as I had my coffee right there with me. 

With the Sahara dust now staying in the African desert, the Gulf has bloomed with a melody of different type of storms, but every kind could be found on the satellite view. Today, there was Hurricane Fionia; Tropical Storm Gaston; Tropical Depressions 9 & 10 and a Disturbance 2 off the African Coast near the Cape Verde Islands. An Atlantic soup of everything nature could offer for this Hurricane season. 

The High Sierra Mountains were 75° by day and already dropping into the low 20's at night. That's a daily swing of 50° readings in one day and that is happening every day this week if you follow the National Weather Service daily pages for the region. The Aspen trees are almost fully turned for the ones that I watch. WOW, there is an up side and a down side to everything isn't there?

While walking from the bus stop yesterday to my drug store, some interesting things were found. One, was a well appointed shed that was filled with white doves and pigeons in a backyard  up to the sidewalk. Never noticing it there before.The cooing could be heard, even with the traffic noise along the street. A bit further alone the sidewalk there appeared a long winding vine that came up over the eight foot high brick fence. Then it was a matter of being curious as to what the vine was. Looking up into the Crape Myrtle trees between the fence and the sidewalk, there appeared yellow blooms in the Crape Myrtle that were still filled with beautiful reds and white blooms and had started to seed. Then, it was a serendipity discovery. Zuchinni squash hanging in the Crape Myrtle tree. It was an interesting way to see how a wandering vine can be directed by a person or Mother Nature into such an interesting perspective.

After leaving the drugstore, it was a short walk up to Braum's Ice Cream and it was  a Cheeseburger Combo for lunch. It was getting pretty hot at the time and had thought of going to stop at the Sonic but there was little breeze and the picnic tables were fine, but it was just to hot, especially after having my two shots to sit outdoors. And, Braum's have nice booths by the windows and it's cool in side. 

After eating, it was a bit of a hike to the bus stop because of a large soccer field complex that is a private non-profit. So, taking it easy when there appeared a sign that didn't seem to make much sense at the driveway at the back of Braum's and Sonic. So, walking  inside the large ice rinks that sits about where my bus stop is on the other side but that Soccer field is fenced and it was going to be a slow trip walking being the Kroger's store and the other shops that are part of the shopping center.  Inside the ice rink, I ask the lady behind the desk if she would be kind enough to explain the sign out front in the driveway. She explained that the Soccer crowd tend to park in the Ice Rinks parking area and they were getting ready a pickup game on Friday (today). And others had ask the same question about the signs.One rink was totally empty and then at the other rink there was a couple that were practicing. When they stopped, holding up my camera and asking if it would be okay to get shots of them on the ice. Sure.

Upon leaving, the silver boot trophies that sat on a shelf in the rinks lobby shots were missed and it will be saved for another day. As I made my way around the side of the rinks, there was a second sign in the back parking area like the one in the front of the rink. Then it hit me. Silly, you were at an ice rink and the sign says no soccer parking. Nothing like feeling slightly foggy on readying the signs....and as the lady explained in the rink, it was a problem with a large soccer field complex (which I had seen that problem in the past, too) and a double ice rink hockey complex it was not something new to me as in the years before the land was developed behind my drugstore, there was a private street that every one used to cut through into or out of the shopping center that tied the ice rink and the soccer field together along the road. 

Along the back of the Kroger's alley a UPS truck was parked in the shade of one of the big trees along the edge of the Soccer Field. It had been my intention of ask the driver if it would be alright to get a shot of the open back of the truck as he was re-organizing packages in the rack. He also had just serviced the UPS store on the corner of the shopping center where he had parked in the alley. Watching my time to make it to the bus stop before the bus arrive, it was also another item for another time and we bid farewell and my walk to the stop was a bit more swifter now. Making the stop on the far side of the soccer field, checking my phone app to see in real time how far away the bus was from the stop, an older couple with grocery bags were walking my way and they kept looking back over their shoulders watching for the bus. When they got there, nodding and pointing that the bus was a the light and that they had just made it in time. The lady ask about my app. Explaining it as the bus arrived and then on the bus as well, she looked at her husband and said, "we are going to set this up when we get home."  Actually, helping an older couple that was probably younger

than me, was a good feeling. It made the heat,walking,and conversations all worth while.

Just an Observation Mind You

A little bit of observation on how things have changed. 

In years past, while making my rounds I would see a UPS guy here and a Fed Ex guy there. Sometimes they would be in their trucks with the door open. Other times, they would be walking up to a business or house with 'a' package. 

Now, in comparison, I see individuals walking up to businesses or houses with 'a' package, which I must assume is a contract carrier for Amazon or one of the other online retailers. Sometimes, the trucks are rental. Sometimes, they are just plain white, while at other times, they are  just individual autos. 

In contrast to that, I now see the UPS guy or the Fed Ex guy walking up to a home or a business and they have armloads of packages. Not 'the' single package as in times past. Their work load has increased for sure. 

Now, when you take into account that this Black Friday brought in the insane amount of multi- billions of dollars in a single day no one should be surprised that Sears, Toys R Us are either out of business or on the threshold of being out of business with many more to follow, or so it seems.

In yet another interesting observation concerning millennial. There has been numerous articles that they are lazy, eat their meals in restaurants, hate cereal because you have to wash the bowl, and now---they don't sleep with or find a need to make a proper bed with a top sheet. So much in fact, that the mills are now considering selling a fitted sheet and two pillowcases as a set and charging YOU for that top sheet now, if you so want to request one.

My out-of-the-way parking spot at Kroger's has now been taken over by "order on line and pick up here". Yep, most of the orders being picked up when I was there were none other than the M's or the Z's.

I have been eager to support change most of my life. To go forward, one must accept change. But, now, the habits of the M's and the "Zs" have so disturbed the peace and dignity of old age that I  would support loading them all on 747s and sending them to Alaska---let them come home for Christmas.

Have A Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday---

but look out for Black Friday!! I hear it's likely to be more wicked than in the past. No prediction---mind you---just hear-say, of course.

SOME of you don't like airplanes, I know, but it' been a long time since the Wright Brothers left the Terra Firma at Kitty Hawk. The constant change in technology has made flying more safe than ever in the states.


I have followed a young man that I have come to admire because he flew around the world solo at 16, has come back to earth long enough  to get his education at MIT and has never owned a car---more or less, but flies a Beechcraft 36 everywhere. Last night he stopped in Bryan, Ohio to refuel on his way home to South Dakota for Thanksgiving, not landing until  01:30 this morning.  after being in Vermont and upstate New York before heading for home.

He has a foundation that he set up. He travels everywhere by his own plane; has more flight hours than some first officers that fly commercially. He writes software---for lack of a better way to describe it---and enjoys life to the fullest. 

I went out to DFW yesterday after paying my annual visit to my bank's branch in Irving. I said to the tellers that every thing has come early this year--spring;summer;fall. So, here I am in November rather than December this year! I had a little check (AARGH) people still send those, that had that little annoying statement---deposit promptly. Then why use checks....electronics work fine. Also, since I get one of those annually and it's 16 miles out to the bank and 16 miles back---unless I go to DFW from there, which I did. But I wanted the tellers to show me how to use the app to deposit the check electronically so I didn't have to heed the warning---Deposit Promptly.

One of the guys came over to the desk and I explained that I wanted to learn about the photo process of depositing checks with the app and where could I get the app since I had looked and could not fine it on the website. He paused a minute and then said," Actually, I've never used it."  I said to him, Gee. I don't even know you and I love you already!" The other teller broke out in a laugh. He said, I can tell you like being honest. Any hoot. I got the little annoyance deposited and then headed to the airport.

Founder's was packed when I got there and I didn't stay long, but long enough to see changes to the new rail line into Terminal B. It opens very soon with the TEX rail from Ft. Worth to the big airport. Terminal A has had Dart's light rail for a couple of years already and it won't be long before the Cotton belt will roll in to the mix. 

A hawk riding thermals above the 18's at DFW. Surprisingly, the planes come in under him on approach and take off below and  beyond him. It's like a soup bowl and he flies right over the center as planes come and go on the rims down into the bowl. Make sense?  Also, he scares off a lowt of the birds that could cause a problem.

Atlas at UPS with the wintering grasses being cut beyond the fence to the tarmac. The tractor driver likes to watch the planes too!!

Here, where you see the crane boom, look to the right at grade level to see the canopies for the TEX rail into Terminal B. Also, the runways at the end of the 17's are getting  a re-configuration for holding and crossings. A big improvement. One side has it already.

There was an Atlas Air 747 parked at the UPS terminal. Normally, Atlas parks father down beyond the American Airline Hangers on the west side of the field. I can only make a couple of guesses as to why: 1) UPS leased the Atlas 747 for the holidays.2) Atlas is under contract for UPS during the holidays.3) Amazon is somehow in the mix of things! (they have a plane with the A to Z arrow logo on it that flies into DFW already.

At home, I got a text from my baby brother that lives here in the Metroplex. I knew that he would be going to Houston to see his daughter over Thanksgiving and we are having lunch on Saturday. He has a way of telling me things that is funny and always tries to up one on me. He said he was taking the Von Lane to Houston (google it---he said) I said in reply, Nice Buses! I have photographed them on the road! (I just had to do that, don't ya see?) Anyway, it didn't take long to figure out that he was on the bus en route already. We had an hour and a half of texting back and forth. The buses really are nice. 22 plush recliner-type leather seats with food, refreshments, WI-FI, power plugs, even table tops for video projection in the back. That's it! 22 people-no more- direct drop-off at the hotel. I'm saying, like little brother---google it!

So, my turkey is thawed and ready for the oven tomorrow. I'm going to have a quiet Thanksgiving---I'm hoping. And I'm going to try to do some more walking with the weather being nice and getting nicer again. 70s for the weekend. Clouds are high and thin and that is an old farmers observation that a weather system is moving in. So, I got to get moving to have pictures to work on tonight. I have had a run of several straight days of sales. The hard work over the long hot summer is beginning to be realized in sales. Like the old bumper sticker from years ago---"Fly Southwest. Herb needs the Money", well, media buyers I have 8,000 images on line so " Fly dallaspaparazzo.com. I need the money like Herb did !"

Humor Can Be Found Anywhere

Founder's Plaza at DFW

Airbus A-319 flown by Virgin American on final to 13R at Love Field in a strong cross wind.

One of the last MD-11s UPS still flies. That's a lot of package deliveries there, bubba!

Wind today at DFW was steady at 29 MPH Gusting to 40 MPH. A wind advisory went into effect at 10 A.M. CST. At about 6 A.M. this morning, with a setting full moon, the flow of Gulf moisture was streaming by the moon. It was awesome.

We set another  record today, too. 80-degrees at the 2:54 P.M. update at the National Weather Service at DFW, our official reporting station. Even the feathered birds were having a difficult time navigating. Yet, one overly friendly grackle got me to laugh.

The angle of the sun this time of year in mid morning to a bit after noon the glare on the planes is not the best. Plus, I hate changing settings this time of year, too. Even with memory Fn settings. By the time I got to Love Field, the winds had not let up much (Gust to 35 MPH) but the light was much more favorable.

Emirates A380 Just Arrived at DFW.

The Emirates flight was not at Terminal D late this morning. Since they fly daily service, everyone was wondering what was going on. Obviously, with the flight just arriving at a quarter after 10 tonight, either a schedule change is in the works or something else. The Qantas flight was right on time and graced the skies as it made the wide turn to the final. The field was full of people snapping photos for the first time. For aviation buffs, it's still the thrill it was the first time you saw that plane of your dreams come in and land. Awesome.(Click on anyone of the images to enlarge).

The DFW Firefighters were practicing and training.

UPS was just about to make his turn but said hello first!

Qantas A-380. It's not a Doug Parker, that's for sure!

The Intermodal Way

Realizing that some have yet to figure out what inter modal is, much less how it works, the idea of economics is greater than meets the eye. There is another side to inter modal that some main stream journalist have yet to figure out, too. Sure, articles have appeared about the tank car problem shipping oil via the rail. The accident-grabbing articles of print and visual media on the subject are beginning to pile up in the search engines. Yet, not a single one that I can find have made mention of the flammable and dangerous gas materials that ship over ground transport and end up on  the rail.  In other words, no one has paid any attention to the fact that danger as great or greater than the tank car problem moves over the rails every hour of ever day with hazardous material placards on the end and sides of the trucks anchored down on inter modal rail cars.

The danger is real. The risk is not as bad as one might think but there is risk and danger none-the-less. The US Department of Transportation Haz-Mat List and Codes are easy enough to look up on the web site. In fact there is a HazMat Code List.pdf file on the site also.

The First Cherry 

For the sake of argument, let's say that a trucking company's rates are $1.50 per mile. The rail road sends its cars down the rail for $1.00 per mile. If the trucks can go the distance on what we once called Piggy-Back shipments, then the trucking firm profits $0.50 per mile or they have reduced their cost by the same amount. It makes no difference except in accounting methods. There is also something else to consider. By using inter modal or flatbed piggy backing trailers, you have meet your competitions  rate-per-mile for most of the distance. So the advantage can work for the majors as well as the smaller businesses. It also enables companies like Target and Walmart to bring their goods to their stores at a lower price. In short. Inter modal shipments-which can include piggy-backing- are here to stay on the landscape of commerce.

Today, I found five major trucking firms, including freight forwarding Moguls like FedEx and UPS along with Roadway, J.B. Hunt, KLLM and two frozen food plants with  reefers on the same inter modal train makeup. It must be remembered that shipping containers can ship via rail and truck both and inter modal trains are stacking  containers two high per car. That is the beauty of inter modal cars and it also reduces cost even more.

The Second Cherry

On several of the FedEx Pigs, the HazMat Code Placards flashed red for flammable and also for Danger on materials with gas.  Learning to look for these placards when you are sitting at a crossing instead of listening to your favorite tune and zoning out as the train rolls by could save your life. In being aware of your surroundings also includes things like this, especially in the world that we live in today.

The Third Cherry 

The last cherry to roll up was something like a stroke of luck of being in the right place at the right time  Had I been on the back side of the train, with the No Trespassing signs posted, I would not have been able to get the shots that I got. Instead, by the luck of fate I was on the public street side of the tracks and had an interesting perspective of light and angles. Here are a couple of shots to support this article.

Pigs from both FedEx and UPS with the red placard on the end of the FedEx trailer. This is the prize finding a UPS and a FedEx end-on-end on the same train make up with the HazMat placard as a bonus.

The shipping contaner for JB Hunt can take another container of the same length on top unless it is marked for no stackers.