Finding Humor In All Things

Happy St. Patrick's Day to ya

To concur with the health authorities, it makes sense to limit yourself from crowds. I've been doing that the past 20 years!! So, since the life-saving trip to the hospital and the 5 and 1/2 weeks stay in a Batesville Casket Company's off shoot--a Hill-Rom made for hospital and nursing home bed, I don't get out as much as in the before hospital stays time frame. Needless-to-say, getting out has been more difficult of late with record rains on top of record rains. Dallas is now the all time wettest start to this point with over 14-inches plus of rain since January 1.

Yesterday, the rain let up for the first time in a week lone string of nine rainy days. It was time to hit the road to see my favorite time of the year when the song birds are singing, the hawks are selecting their mates and sitting their prettiest in the top of trees and poles. The buds springing out and flowers beginning to bloom will get an old man like me every time. Plus, as an added bonus, seeing  fishermen in their boats up stream on White Rock Creek brings back a lot of memories of my dad. And, if all that didn't make me happy, the sun tried to reappear a few times along the way. My eyes just could not take the brightness---it had been so long since I had seen the sun. I even began to wonder if I was not in Texas any more.

With Dallas getting near 3-inches of rain (officially Dallas got .98 inches because DFW is the official collection gauge for Dallas) the night before. Love Field got the 3-inches, the former home of the official gauge. The water in the streams, creeks and at the lake were near but had been over the banks. Debris was everywhere and rivers of it were moving across the lake with the flow current.

As I went about the route that makes a full circle of the lake, I was looking for the pelicans that migrate here every Columbus Day. Wondering were they might have moved to when these kinds of conditions happen during their stay here over winter, my concern was growing as I covered all the places where they duck (pardon the pun) into during these unusual rearranging of the lakes silt and where sandbars have shifted where the pelicans like to hang out.

Then, out of the blue, it occured to me that there was more missing to this puzzle. The absents of the cormorants and seagulls were also noted. Then, my brain clicked on like a thermostat control (one of my old friends, a shrink, tells me that is called a Eureka Point) and I realized it was the third week of March--the time the pelicans head North again. These birds are social and they stay together. So where the time went is just mind blowing. The pelicans arrived and six weeks later I'm in the hospital. I get out and six weeks later plus 2-weeks for weather confinement and the pelicans are gone!! This season of migration, for the most part, came as it flew out of here almost without notice. 

After the lake's tour it was on to my little grocery store to  get a couple of fill in items. Once again, what's missing? EVERYTHING! The shelves as the news has been reporting were wiped out.
It was an instant live view of what my little store's customers are buying and not buying. The over all customer base did not buy the things I don't buy and they buy every thing that I do buy!!. It was better than listening to the news. This was first hand and live shopping---very live shopping during an unusual start to this year's first quarter. 

Kestrel Hawk aka Sparrow Hawk

Not Blue Bonnets Yet, but these are blue bells!

If you live above the Mason-Dixon Line remember the annual heavy wet snow that falls two weeks either side of St. Pat's Day. Maybe, you will be the lucky one where it didn't fall, because it's coming. The Upper Level Low sitting off the coast of California tossing moisture at the High Sierra's left Truckee with a  foot and a half of snow over night Sunday. It rained on Monday until the temps began to fall again and they got another dumping of snow. Problem is that with the virus alerts no one seems to be flying into the airport but the Amtrak's Zephyr is still pulling a consist of 11 cars. That's pretty normal for the Zeph! But, the traffic to the slopes is down somewhat. However, the ULL system is now moving east so history will show that someone is going to be getting that St. Pat's snow storm! With Brady leaving the Patriots--look out Boston! Mother Nature does dish out Karma ( you know that when you fail to replace the toilet paper and you are the next to use the toilet!). From the looks of the grocery shelves besides toilet paper, a lot of people have experienced some bad karma.Me included.

It's Been An Uneasy Stay For The Visiting Waterfowl.

We had record rains for three months this past year. This year started out with two floods at the lake that displaced the logs that the pelicans like to hang out upon. The high water levels have also brought in shifting sandbars that split Sunset Bay into another world for the Coots and Ducks, Cormorants and seagulls. It became readily visible to those of us that visit the lake almost on a daily schedule that the pelicans were uneasy and were seen in areas of the lake where they normally do not go. Pelicans up White Rock Creek beyond Flag Pole Hill on Goforth is not a good place for them. Especially if they roost that far up. The Cormorants are up in the trees there because their big log was dislodged by the high water levels and floated down  the lake shore several hundred feet.  But pelicans roost on the ground and bob cats and coyotes do feast upon waterfowl as we all know.

And, if that is not enough, there are more kayaks on the lake. More fishing boats. More motor boats for the sailing clubs and the rowing clubs. Even beyond that, there have been drownings there this year and just today, a father and son participating in a sailing event capsized and needed a high water rescue because of the thermal factors with colder than normal water. And some humans just can't get it into their heads that the birds notice things like that more than we give them credit..

Last year the number of mallards that were seen with their young broods was down to only a couple of pairs of mallards. Even the old gal on the east side of the lake that usually raises 8-10 ducklings, when seen, only had 5. It's almost a give me that the happy balance will always be in favor of people before it is wildlife in a dense urban setting. I know this. I  can accept this with reservations, but that is why there are state wild life preserves where the game wardens protect wildlife more than in city parks.  It isn't something that I enjoy agreeing with, of course, but the realization is that we are lucky to have such a vast diversity of wildlife so close to the heart of the city. Still, it behooves all of us to keep an eye more in tune to the nature that is around us and to have parks and lakes like White Rock where we can come and enjoy the wild as it was once upon a time. 

A little treasure for the  birders at the lake.

This old guy has one of the big old style bands on his leg. There were some with the newer wing bangs this year but they have already taken flight back north for breeding season. The big snow storms that are still coming down up there will not last long now.

Here is one of the washed up sandbars that runs for many, many yards in an arch around Sunset Bay

Gas Continues to Fall in Price

Day before yesterday, I filled up at $1.939. When I applied by 3-cent discount from Kroger receipts, the final price per gallon was $1.909. I have not paid that low of a gas price in a bit over 2 years. Today, however, the price had dropped another 4-cents to $1.869. I must admit that the gas buddy app helps, but like when I filled up, it advised that prices were going to be stable through the weekend. Not to complain, but the 4-cent drop sure didn't sound like remaining stable to me. But, to be fair, they have saved me a lot of money on gas and I like the app.

They lined up to wait like planes waiting for take off.

Cleared for Take Off!

Here is the Osprey. They were not seen last year, but were seen two years ago. This is my first sighting this years where I could do the 7-point ID check and yes, Virginia----it is an OSPREY!

The weather today was another one of those low, low, very low cloud covered days. It seems that I am changing the white balance on my camera from cloudy to sunshine and back to cloudy more than I have in the past 10 years. Is that possible? The sunshine in Dallas was always king. Now, it seems like it is just another one of those low hanging cloud day more than most Dallas residents do not want.  And, to be fair to that cause as well, it was 76 degrees again today!. 74 tomorrow and then the bottom drops out for the next 10-days.

I went to the lake from 10-2 today even with the low hanging ceilings. I'm glad that I did. I saw the Osprey!! Big Boy too! He arrive and the two-dozen Great Egrets took off  en mass. The thing about the Osprey is that they eat nearly 100-percent fish in their diet, but egrets also have full bellies of fish, too! So, it's not like he's after the Egret for lunch, but he's after the Egret's lunch for his lunch!. The food chain is not always nice and neat, don't you know.
 Also, again, the pelican were in the tidal pool fishing. There were more than 70 that I counted. The cormorants were diving and coming up with fish at every turn. There has been a lot of fish trapped in the tidal pool and the waterfowl that have a hefty fish diet have hit the jackpot.

I watched the pelicans from up at the dam and made my way down to the tidal pool level because I knew that the pelicans would be taking to the air and it would give me some pretty good shots that I don't have in any of my portfolios. Sure enough. I had not been down there 10-minutes when they lined up for take-off. I swear, they were airline pilots in another life. I call  them the White Rock Air Force. And, being so big with a 9-foot wingspan, they are every bit as graceful as a 747 jet landing and taking off.  I could watch them all day. I've never tried to order lunch at the lake, but one day I'm going to do that. Need a picnic table for pizza but Jimmy John's would work.

I was home by two and did a snack thing for a late lunch. And, I did a fried carrot and broc thing with a salmon fillet. It was just right! Besides, I love that fried carrot thing. I'm hooked on it and even save the last two inches of the carrot to be cut in rounds rather than the strips that I slice. The little rounds are the chef's portion. I love 'em when they are hot!! While I am cooking the strips and the salmon.

I've been eating more salmon of late. I can't recall the last time I even bought raw hamburger. For one, I won't pay $6.00/lb  for hamburger period. I grew up on hamburger at $0.39/lb. It's just one of those things. Mom was a Rosy Riveter  at Willow Run Airport building bombers for the Air Force when she was 19. Her older sister made Hungarian Goulash  and guess what--- when mom married, she knew how to cook Hungarian Goulash with elbow macaroni and tomato paste, onions, blah-blah-blah. During the war it was a cheap meal. Not a thing wrong with  it. Then, hamburger started to go wild.

A Mid-Autumn Picnic Lunch, Pelican Flights and A Unicyclist with Dogs

It felt pretty good to discover that I had slept in this morning for an additional three hours. But, with today being the last day for more than the next ten days below today's forecast of 68-72 degrees with sunshine, I crawled out of bed, did my morning routine, took my meds, checked mail and other light task, packed my lunch in the picnic bag that is insulated and headed out the door.

It was delightful and at times, the approaching cold front was  pre-mixing some cool air at times. In reality, I think that the wind was changing directions as the low pressure approached from the Northwest. Still, the air temperature and gentle breeze was just the way that I like this time of year.

Having eaten a full breakfast before leaving the house, I had planned to have lunch about two in the afternoon. As it turned out, it was more like a later regular lunch hour.  For these lunches this time of year, I like to eat at the picnic tables on the patio of the cabin at Sunset Bay. That's were the pelicans hang out before they scatter for fishing trips or after lunch thermal riding. Much to my surprise, it hit me that all the color that I like to look at while eating was already spent. The trees were brown and barren. Just two weeks ago the colors were at peak and really amazing. But, I had forgotten we have had some strong winds, heavy rains and that brought down the leaves that I have been walking through the past two weeks. Where the time went I will never know. It has been a busy time for me with other things to do in addition to the pictures. The car problems took up a week or so. The state inspection took up a day. There was a doctor in there some where and a couple of days spent in the house when the weather was just plain mean. Trying to recall the number of times that I have said to myself---"we just can't catch a break anywhere"; the times that was said could not be accurately tallied. It has been a rough year weather wise.

The squirrel came down and visited while I ate.

Pelicans were riding thermal currents already.

The editorial image of the day was a unicycle rider "walking" his two dogs. 

Buzzed By A Buzzard!

Well, a lot of thing have haven't to me over the years, but nothing like what happened this afternoon. I was sitting at  a picnic table down from the Mockingbird bridge on the south side of the foot bridge watching the seagulls, cormorants, and pelicans drift on the water's currents. There was a strong breeze and the seagulls were having a hard time landing on the water. Even the masters, the pelicans, were having a rough time of it landing.

A pair of pigeons came flying over almost as soon as I sat down. One of the pigeons walked right up to me. I do talk to the birds and the squirrels---animals in general---and they are responsive so at least I can get a fairly good close-up shot. While all of this is happening, I'm also watching above Mockingbird Lane toward the woodlands along White Rock Creek for any of the vultures (buzzards). There are six that hang out there and I have some pretty good shots of them on light poles and even on the ground eating in a couple of locations. Then, almost on cue, I see one riding the thermals. But where are the other five? Turning back to a pelican coming in for a landing low to the water (less wind resistance) as he just drops and flop on the water, tilting forward as he comes to a stop.

About the same time, I hear an unusual sound overhead. Being an aviation buff, you learn to recognize the sound of various airplane engines, but because this one sounded different, I looked up. Forget the airplane---there are the other other five buzzards riding thermals over the lake. Without warning, out of the corner of my eye, I see this big black bird with  huge wing spans come sailing inland no more than three or four feet from me at eye level. I grabbed my camera and starting snapping images without thought of technique or anything else. All I wanted was to get some shots of what was happening at the moment. I watched the big bird sail across the road where he was diving into the tall prairie grasses, coming up, circling and doing it all over again. He must have seen a rat or rabbit or snake (one was seen crawling on the roadway a couple of days ago). Then, as if nothing ever happened, he is back over Mockingbird Lane riding the thermals again.

After sitting there for a while and thinking about what had just happened, the darn bird had buzzed me. So I was buzzed by a buzzard!! That's never happen before. It was a first.

The buzzard buzzing

He's after something in the grass.

Rough landing on a windy day.

My dude, the Pigeon!

Tower Cranes Are Everywhre

There are tower cranes at White Rock. More at  Lincoln Park, North Park with two. Medical City has two. Love Field has four. Southwest Airlines between Denton and Harry Hines has two. Downtown has them every where in all four quadrants. Houston Street, Ross Avenue just added more.  Even Richardson High School across from Cottonwood Park has one at their athletic field. Uptown always has one or two. If one were taken down today, the guy that got it would have been waiting for 14 months plus or minus one here or there.

There are some 90 plus cranes in operation locally.

This one maybe wants to be a tower crane when he grows up.

This one playing in the water before going to work as a crane operator.

This view from the diamond's light shelf has one of nature's paradox at play.On the ball diamond field below is a field covered in pigeons. The prey of this hawk as he protects his territory from above.

Warmest Christmas in Dallas...Ever!

Yesterday, my youngest brother and I had lunch at Twisted Root. If you never have been there, it's a fun place to get a burger for sure. Our order-taker made mention that they actually had buffalo meat in house yesterday. I replied that I really preferred by buffalo in National Parks. For that, our order card was the "Charlie Brown" card. It's kind of like the old Jerry Seinfeld soup Nazi episode in real life. And yes, I mentioned the word potato at Spring Creek BBQ a time or two, also. You never want to do that. Luckily, for me, that kind of  humor is just as much fun as the themed restaurants can be and I like that atmosphere. 

Speaking of atmosphere, the low temperature in Dallas Christmas Eve broke the old low temperature reading by 14 degrees. That low temperature was 69 degrees. But, the surprise came today when the old high temperature for Christmas Day was 78 and at 2:53 P.M at DFW International (the official reporting station and hourly reporting) the temperature hit 80 degrees. That is the highest temperature ever, in Dallas, for a Christmas Day.

It was obvious too!. People were out in numbers riding new bikes, playing with new remote controlled cars. BBQ grills in the parks were all smoking as families spread picnics out on picnic tables. There was a strong and gusty south wind blowing, too! Cormorants were flapping their wings and flying sideways rather than moving forward. Pelicans were making double approaches landing and suburban main streets Christmas decorations were swinging in the wind.

Places in the Sierra Nevada mountains were covered in snow and looked a lot like a Norman Rockwell painting. Watching the snow plows move the mountain- elevation snows while I cooked the turkey this morning was that romantic-type Christmas for sure. Seeing  the White Rock Airforce coming in for a landing in strong gusty winds was also amazing. In fact, just as smooth as a A-380 landing in cross-winds at DFW Nature is so amazing.

White Rock Air Force

Museum of Tomorrow

While Dallas does have some noted buildings built by world famous architects, our latest architect with his second structure still under construction at present Santiago Calatrava has a masterpiece in Rio de Janiero. The Dallas City Hall and The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center were designed by I.M. Pei. Santiago Calatrava designed the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and did redesign his original design work on the Margaret McDermott Bridge currently  under construction. But this week, was the opening of Calatrava's  Magnum Opus in my opinion. It is the new Museu do Amanha (Museum of Tomorrow) in Rio de Janeiro on December 19th. The site is in the old port section of Rio and is part of a major redevelopment program in the area. I have seen the area personally on my first trip to Brazil many years ago. It is an amazing work of design and while I am proud to talk about the Arts District in Dallas and what it has to offer, I did a bit of work figuring out just how big this new Museu is. By loose calculations, the entire arts district could be placed in one third of this structure. The transformation from the old site to this new structure raises the bar for other cities in this old world if they want to compete for tomorrow because tomorrow has arrived on yet another continent of the Americas.

For those of you that want to see an image of the structure, you can search for the Museu do Amanha in Rio. Or, you can go to Alamy and enter in the search box FA1AG5 to bring up the image. I just tried it and it worked. Alamy.com  and enter FA1AG5 (That is FAone AGfive) to be clear.

For those of you who do not want to see Calatrava's non-bridge work, I have some pelicans,geese and ducks for you.

The angle is a duck having just had a drink tilting his head upward.

The pelicans can be so funny to watch.

Two migratory geese fighting. It lasted a pretty long time.

Monarch Butterfly and Bird Migration Has Reached Texas

I hate adjusting while balance, so, as you can see, I don't!!!

The milk weed in the Great Lakes has already received frost this fall. Over head, I have noticed large numbers of birds riding the thermals which looks like the pelicans have arrived on area Lakes to refuel for several weeks before they continue their migration south.

This morning, I took the cat out. She likes to sit in her chair on the porch. Then, I noticed overhead around tree top level, hundreds of Monarch Butterflies. Sure enough. The Monarchs have reached north Texas on their way to the mountains of Mexico to winter in awesome displays of hanging strings of Monarchs from the trees that are falling to poaching. This is causing the lost of Monarchs in dangerous numbers for loss of habitat.

At White Rock Lake, the lake was filled with log-setting pelicans in huge numbers.....more than were there the same time last fall. There were many,many more still riding the thermals high above the lake. Farther out in the lake were even more black cormorants sitting on down logs stuck in the mud.

Yes, migration is fully underway. Enjoy the Monarchs and the beautiful fall weather.

Having this in the yard is great.

A Pelican Practices His "Ho Down Number"

Crazy weather find animals responding just like humans. Today, the temps were in the low 70* F range but the roller coaster will bring 'em down for the weekend where we are rolled up in a comforter. Reading  a good book or watching a good movie or finding a good game on TV seems to be about what the weatherman is forecasting all ready.

 But, this pelican was so comical. I could almost hear the fiddle and the banjo strumming in the background.
 

Check out the second from right as he holds on to his partner with a wing and has the left leg and web foot raised as though
he was in a barn yard ho down. Can't you hear the fiddle and banjo strumming in the back ground? 

The line between darkness and light is moving East to West. Here, you can actually see the line as darkness falls on Dallas.

Looking to the left of the sunset you can see some of the skyline in downtown Dallas. So, this would be looking more Southwest from Northeast.