The Leaning Tower Has A Will Of Its Own

 Painting inquiries can be made direct to the artist:

Live Local Artist

Jerrel Sustaita

livelocalartist@gmail.com

 Thanks to this artist for his permission to publish his work that was hanging on the fence as he continued to work and talk to interested clients.




While I was totally glued to the streaming feed from Fox 4's eggbeater from 10-4 yesterday,  the temperature was in the upper 60s. It didn't matter. It is a mesmerizing time. Leaving the house was the last thought in my mind. So, today, after breakfast and coffee, checking emails and my on-line listings with my agent, it was time to get some fresh and crisp air some ten degrees cooler than the high I missed out on yesterday.

It was off to the bank and then a stop at a church where I vote early.They have the new voting machines which I do not like. There is no privacy anymore. The person next to you can easily look over at your screen for one dislike. I don't mind the touch screen desktops but the privacy issue still bothers me. The second issue is that I do not like having my back to all the other voters. It's just one of my little annoy factors.

Then, it was off to go back down to Uptown to see another live afternoon of watching the wrecking ball bang against the  Leaning Tower.  It took a few laps around a block to finally get a parking spot. This was the first time that I had gotten close to the action. But the turnover of people with cameras, video recorders and iphone-type cells was even more than I had seen on Sunday.

I was talking to one guy that was telling me that his wife was mesmerized by the process. That seems to be the word of the day because several others were talking about how mesmerized they were about the tower.  I found that most interesting.

Earlier, while talking to the man who's wife was at a spot in the fence where she could get a good shot, we were talking about stress points. I remembered when Texas Stadium was imploded, the building fell but the buttresses on the outside of the stadium didn't all go down, leaving about 3 or 4 to be taken down like the leaning tower. He had ask me about the buttresses. They transfer stress from the weight above and distribute it down to the ground.The point is, if the crane operator swings the ball at one of the stress points, everything about is coming down. About the time that I was leaving, the crane operator hit one of those stress points and about three floors fell. If he hits one of those stress points (load bearing) I believe that the top two or three stories will topple. It's only a matter of time, but I don't know  what the other OSHA factors are about wrecking ball a 11-store core of a building.

 Here is your chance to have a lasting memory of this mesmerizing event.The local artist that painted these on site is provided at the top of this post. He has facebook, twitter and instagram accounts where you can follow him and his other works

Hand painted canvas by an Urban Artist,see contact info at top of article.

Here are some more with the artist talking to a client.

The wrecking ball at 5600 pounds is controlled by OSHA on a site like this.

Snakes are Crawling Already Around North Texas Lakes So Be Careful

Everything has been about a month early so far this year. After seeing the first red bud tree in full bloom during the middle part of January, it was obvious that nature had pushed up its spring schedule and speed for some reason. As in the past, it opens up a lot to observe and pay more attention to what stands out. It also points the way to watch where you step and what you lean up against. Snakes are in the trees as well as crawling out of their dens. Some will give birth almost immediately out of den while others will look for mates to breed with. The key factor to remember here is that for those who are new to the area, don't go walking through new green grass in your flip flops.Some baby snakes bites are as dangerous as their parents, so look down while you are walking or standing. So far, what I've seen crawling are mostly water snakes which give birth early. Every year the hospital ER's will be reporting the snake bites so yes, they do happen year after year. The rattlesnakes in West Texas are already producing larger numbers that in years past.

Out side of beginning with a few words of caution, the stand out tree this season so far, besides the traditional red buds, seem to be the tulip trees. The blooms are outstanding. The annual Mardi Gras Parade in  Oak Cliff kicks off this weekend and of course, the troops of little green men with bagpipes and drums will soon be parading down Greenville Avenue with that party mode gleam twinkling in their eyes.

The Dallas Blooms gets underway the last days of February, all of March and into the first week of April at the Dallas Arboretum.

Last couple of days to get those selfies in. The wrecking ball and crane begin to swing Monday at 0900 hours on Dallas' Leaning Tower. ( which is actually the core elevator and stairwell section of the old Affiliated Computer Services Building on Haskell Avenue at North Central Expressway aka US 75 aka President George Bush. To me, it's overkill.[ George Bush Turnpike, George Bush Expressway, on Bush Street. and George H W Bush turnpike.]

Tulip trees are outstanding this year, especially on the larger trees

The first crawl I have seen this season. But there are many many more out there already. Look down at your feet and watch where you step. Leaning up against the trunk of a tree isn't to be ignored either. You might find one crawling onto your shoulder. I was reminded of that last season watching a pair of hawks in their nest.  Luckily, someone saw the snake about a foot away from my head and called out.