Two Perfect Spring Days in Late Winter

It was 66 degrees officially at DFW this afternoon. The humidity was 19% (very dry) while the dew point was at 23 . Yesterday was just a tad warmer hitting the mark beyond the 70 degree mark. The sky was that deep blue color that comes with low humidity reading. Days like this are my favorite and my camera likes them too. It is also one of those days that really show me how off target my camera has become from daily wear and tear.

So, after coming in this afternoon, following dinner, it was time to break down the camera and do a bit of maintenance. Sometimes, I get it totally right on the one try. Other times, I have to break it own again and fix some little adjustment that I missed. Last night, a dear friend called and while talking, I mentioned to her that my images seemed a bit off. She had noticed the less than normal images that I shot.Telling her that my images had just not been where they should be and I didn't know if it was from the 5 and a half weeks in the hospital or something else. I'm thinking that it was both and is were the problem has been. I want to try to get some images from the Greenville Avenue St. Pat's Parade before my final upcoming surgery. So I want to get this mirror thing cleared up.

Today, the single seat tickets went on sale for the Texas Rangers home opener in the new roofed stadium in Arlington between the old Ball Park and AT&T Stadium.  I had wanted to be at the game, but opening day will find me fast asleep in the operating room again. Sometimes, lemons don't smell like lemons, but that's okay for me 'cause I like limes better, anyway.

It is my hope to get through the ordeal and recovery (not near as long as the previous one) and the rest of my year will be back to good 'ole bread and butter kind of days. Meanwhile, these are some of the signs of an early spring. While my trees on the porch are a bit slower showing buds and leaves this year, there are new green leaves showing up.

These images will be from both sides of the lake.

near the filtration building

W. Lawther near Westlake

Top of the hill on Dreyfuss Club on E. Lawther.

Helicopters Continue To Survey My Neighborhood

A lots of things in life are elusive. Some, more than others. As the helicopters continue to hover and circle, fly low, fly higher, and all the maneuvers that make the egg beaters an excellent machine for many things in today's world the surveying goes on.

 It has been a rough week. It all started Sunday night when the strong cold front moved in ---kind of like where refrig meets oven and cold air meets hot air. Well, hot air with a lot of humidity from the  Gulf of Mexico streaming into the stew pot mixer of North Texas. Where I live is kind of like the Hamilton Beach of mixers where the cold and the hot and rain and wind and the humidity and all the other things needed to cook up a good Tornado or two---or three come together. Well, even a few more than that. The helicopters have sorted it out and the National Weather Service had confirmed 9 separate tornadoes that came out of that mixing bowl. Even that was updated again today to include one more tornado, though small and short lived did develop out of our storm, as it moved Northeast. In southern Collin county, number 10 sprang to life. Collin, Denton, Tarrant and Dallas make up our Metroplex district we know as Dallas/Ft.Worth.

The damage in my old neighborhood was extensive and that was bad enough, but that damage extended over the six miles to include blocks immediately to my west and blocks immediately to my north. One gated community with private lakes was laid to waste and forever changing the look of how I  have seen it the past 15-years. It will take years to put it back landscape-wise.

Tonight, heavy rains have moved in just as the last of the power was restored, but not everyone was able to cover their roofs with blue tarps and even more damage will make losses even more. This storm is dropping snow in the panhandle a month early.

This is where gears are changed, but the theme remains on target with the opening sentence of this post. Because the rain would likely keep me home bound for two days, I got the heck out of the house early this morning while the sunshine and windy conditions made sweater weather in the car the most encouragement I have had in months.

At the lake, first check was on the Monarch butterflies, which have been in a thin migration this year. Normally, I would see 15-25 in a quarter hour.

There are three parakeets  near the green wire.

The Cooper wants that grasshopper bad.

As my Dad would say:" There's always one to spoil the fun" speaking of cars that come up and tailgate just as you are trying to find something. The car zipped around me but the bobcat could have cared less. Then, I was able to move at his pace and watch where he was going. It will be a place to start watching now for more than just birds.

While the pelican numbers have come up a bit, weather has been a major factor for them as well as the butterflies. Normally the Great White Egrets are elusive to shoot unless you shoot with a mini Hubble Telescope, they have been all over Sunset Bay where again, the weather has played a factor in moving sandbars close in off the Dixon Branch leaving the water shallow and not so pretty of a setting as it has been in times past.

The monk parakeets have rebuilt their nest in the cell towers and  Oncor substation.

On the second trip around the lake, the final stop at the Cultural Center Bath House was a bonus  sweep of elusive critters. Starting up the hill the Cooper Hawk was in an aerial display as he was  chasing a large grass hopper. Getting a shot of that was like an extra piece of chocolate cake with no calories. Then, the shock of all shocks. One of the most elusive creatures at White Rock---the bob cat--came out of the thicket with a rabbit and leisurely walked the hedgerow. After seven backyards, he went into a wood pile. I did not see him come out.But, the last of the White Rock wonders has now been documented. American Eagles; Osprey; coyote, great horned owl, barred owl, and the  bob cat.

It May Be Fall, But The Hummingbirds Were Panting From The Heat.

Had A Friend Shoot Almost the Identical Photo Yesterday at a different Location. Today, It was my turn to shoot the hummingbird telling the bee to back off.

Time Stamp This Morning:8:46AM,08-11-2019

Because of the heat, it was out the door very early this morning. After a quick stop at Micky Dee's to grab a senior coffee and a sausage biscuit, it was to my favorite spot at Dreyfuss Club and the picnic tables where the length of the lake can pretty much be see looking toward the dam. It's a great place to put down the camera on the wood picnic tables and drink my coffee and eat the sausage biscuit, while watching for the osprey and the eagle.

Much to my surprise, as I came down the drive from the hilltop and made the shoreline drive on the way out toward the stone picnic tables, there was already three photographers lined up at the eagles most favorite tree to perch. I pulled into the parking spot, walked over to where the guys were not even shooting so they had been there for a while already. Sure enough, there he set with that big white head and white outline around that beautiful black and grey body. I didn't even give the auto focus a chance to set before I clicked off three shots, wished the guys good shooting and headed back to the car. After all, I had seen this eagle and his mate when they first got here from the hatch release center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My brother had given me a heads up on the release and within a month, I had spotted them some five---now more like six--- years. I'm more interested in the osprey than the eagles. But, to each, their own.

American Bald Eagle at Dreyfuss Club, White Rock Lake at 8:46AM 2019-08-11

Damselfly laying eggs

I like these little guys better than the eagle, actually. Eagles eat Salmon. I eat Salmon. Damselflies eat mosquitos and I want them to eat all they want.

Saw The Two Newest Monk Parrots Being Fed

The monk parrots at White Rock make a lot of noise but in a way that's good. You know they are in the area. I pulled up on the parking lot at Winfrey Point this morning looking for the red shouldered hawk that hangs out there but heard, then saw the little green birds that look so much like the ones that were sold in the five and dime stores as pets. There are, however, a bit larger and there are some noticeable differences. However, seeing them in action is always a delight.

You might try enlarging them after you click them on for the default enlarging. At 100 percent, they are clearly cute to see.

The chick is on the left. Mom would drive the other bird away when she came back.

Here, she feed from her beak to the chicks beak.

There are two chicks and mom and dad.

It started out with shooting a couple on the sidewalk, then they flew off to the other side of Winfrey, then to the gang lights at the ball diamonds. Then, I noticed in the big tree at the edge of the circular drive that going around the side and front of Winfrey, two parrots sitting on a dead branch of the tree canopy. It wasn't long before I figured out that these two were fledglings and then came mom and dad to feed them. Then, it happened. I got to see mom feed the baby. To me, that was a rare shot. After a number of years trying to get a really good shot of them, I was able to get a couple of good shots of the feeding.

Dallas Has A Problem For Sure

This car is correctly going to right direction, including making the required right turn at the stop sign. However, a black SUV came down the road today going the other direction and nearly hit me head on. The very point that TxDOT could learn from  about why vehicles are going the wrong way all over the Metroplex and lives are being lost.

The park is posted with signs that read:" You must Obey Warning Signs. It is a state law."

One thing that I have noticed about Dallas is the number of people who go the wrong way on the Toll Roads, expressways, and streets. One thing about going to the lake on a daily basis is that over a period of time, it begins to point itself out to you that people don't read signs---especially road signs and/or traffic signs. The Texas Department of Transportation could do a study in a high use area where this very topic could be studied in concentration. After all, it is state law to obey warning signs!

In talking to various departments and people from inside city hall on down, it came to light that one of the reasons why there are so many violations at White Rock Lake is because the park and recreation division are short on parking spaces in out-of-ratio comparison to the number of people using the park in comparison to the numbers just a few short years ago---like 5 years. Also, White Rock is a big Public Relations Platform for the city and its parks. Having passed that information on after being told to me, it's also the age old story that the genie isn't going back into the bottle once it's been let out. So, I ask one of the police officers that at the time, was new to the park beat from the old guard that has gone on to better jobs, retired and left the force or otherwise moved either up the ladder or up the food chain. The question was since you know about the parking situation being on the the reasons some of the signs had come down  why aren't the city codes enforced? His answer to me was," Thank God--next question!"

Loss Prevention finally got a good number for me to call about the signs which have caused more confusion being down than up. Since the storm hit the park, now is not the time or the place to bring up that question at the moment. However, since then, I have counted 6 armadillos, a red should hawk, a pelican and several pigeons that have been hit by cars or bikes. Surprisingly, the number is growing by bike hits on the wildlife and migrating birds. Cars, being what they are, have nearly hit kids on bikes, older adults and a few hikers. With the number of cars going the wrong way on one way patterns while others, not knowing the basics of transportation flow when "signs are not present" (i.e., when approaching a "Y" where so sign is present at where to enter,  always go to the right as if you were entering a traffic circle). State law requires that bikes observe stop signs the same as cars. That just does not happen at White Rock Lake.Images of cars going the wrong way on marked "do not enter" or 'begin one way" are into the hundreds while bikes running stop signs as if the "Tour De France" trophy was on a finish line somewhere at the lake is only going to get some one killed before that trophy is ever awarded in Dallas.

Here It Is The End Of The First Week Since Devistation Struck

and while signs of progress have been made and are still being made, what stuck me was the  now browning of leaves and small branches by the hundreds of thousands still every where in sight. The staging area at Lake Highlands High School has returned to normal with so signs of all the stacks of utility poles, flat bed trailers of transformers, pallets of wire, dumpsters marked scrap metal while others were marked trash.The mobile command center Oncor set up is gone now, as are all the trucks loaded with utility workers from 11 states that came to help. Parks and Recreation Crews are still cleaning up the trees that were lost to the storm. The gaping holes in the canopies where hundred year old trees stood only a week ago are more than just noticeable, they are painful memories of what once filled those vacant openings. As of Friday, the total count of felled trees stood at 62. Damage to tops and upper limbs run well into multiple hundreds. In the deep woods of White Rock Creek  to the west of Goforth going north to the curve of the northeast service center where are near a dozen more that were not counted, although three at Flag Pole Hill were included.

Landscape crews, both park and recreation and private landscape companies will be cleaning up for not weeks but months to come. My interest has begun to shift to the summer rains and what will flow into the lake yet to come. There will be problems on to that end I am almost sure.

Flag Pole Hill

Yesterday, I got my first look at the crane that collapsed onto the Elan on Live Oak Street. It is being reported that the crane will remain where it is for at least another week. The ones that were displaced and put in hotels by the owner of the Elan City Lights Apartments, Greystar

Flag Pole Hill Across street from first image.

Crane that fell during storm on Sunday,June 9th and took a life of a resident. It will remain here for at least another week. 

Greystar, ended their paying of hotel bills yesterday. Later next week, it is being reported that the cars in the multi-level parking garage will start to be lifted out from the top down beginning sometime during the coming week.

Third Set of Images from Storms

Electric Contractors from Alabama Help Oncor with power restoration.

More out-of-town contractors assist Oncor with getting the power back on.

Two more big trees lost that I missed totally. Also,found 4 more in areas that are able to be seen but cannot get close because they are on private property on the back side of homes. And, in the dense forest along White Rock Creek there are those four. That brings the total to over 50 trees down with

The number of out-of-town utility contractors are seen staged everywhere. Today, I was only mile from home when I ran across a group of guys from Sumter,South Carolina. The guys that I talked to work for the South Carolina  contractor but they were from Alabama. Alabama Power has many crews here and the 350,000 without power is now down to less than 20,000.

The park crews are making their mark on the cleanup, too. It is amazing what these guys do for the park. This year, thus far, they have had three flood clean ups on the shoreline and trails, put the carnage from this storm. For one, I know that I appreciate what they do for the park and they like for people to tell them how much they are appreciated as well as any one does. I thanked three guys today for their work.

April Is Our Month for Severe Weather

That's a bit of a misnomer in as much as here in North Texas, all 12 months can, and have had, severe weather. We are the mixing bowl of Gulf moisture, jets from the west and cold air from the north. However, this morning we had a good ole-fashioned thunder bumper with lightening, downpours, and rumbles that shook the walls. I can't remember the last time that we had one that I took note of more than the one this morning. As the line of storms marched off to the northeast, I got the heck out of the house for a couple of reasons. One, I can't stand to be closed up in a house and two, I wanted to get some images of that immediate after-the-rain-look where water droplets were still hanging from plants and spring flowers and the fresh green look from grassy areas. Plus, I can also judge how focus is doing on the camera when the air has been cleaned of all the particulant matter that causes focus to change on it own and I'll be the first to admit that I have screwed up the settings many times to where the focus was off more than I like. Finding a good target area to re calibrate is critical and I have used the skyline of downtown Dallas from White Rock to judge that.

But first and foremost, my de-stressing trick is getting out of  the house. When I am out shooting, my stress levels nearly bottom out and my blood pressure drops to there lowest levels. So, from a health standpoint, being out and about for me is as good as it gets and I'm able to function normally.

People have ask where downtown is in relationship to White Rock Lake and Park.This is one of those  picture that says a thousand words. The sign is at the northern most point of the lake. The point where White Rock Creek feeds the lake is at the Mockingbird bridge which is below this sign a few hundred feet.  The exit here is an old fashioned clover leaf type exit going down and under the bridge. West Lawther is the far lake shore side nearest downtown's view. East Lawther has four points of entry while West Lawther can be driven from the bridge here at Mockingbird around to Highway 78, Garland Road.The lake is a little over 9 miles around.

This is the shot and is taken from atop the escarpment at Dreyfuss Club. It is slightly lower than the highest point known as Winfrey Point which is just south and to the left of this image.

The green space is between Lake Highland Drive (where the two new homes sit) coming down to the Cultural Bath House Center on Northcliff from where this image was taken. The cultural center is were the cultural events, lectures, theater, music and the like are held. In front of the center is the Water-Wise Garden planted by the Dallas Master Gardeners, Texas A&M extension services here in Dallas.

Burr!!! and More Burr!!!!

the coldest days of the season have descended on the North Texas area of Texas which happened to have a birthday, yesterday. The birthday of statehood will quickly sink into memories being replaced by the cold. While I have lived in much colder places during the winter season, medications have thinned out the blood. Having learned to layer clothing makes it a no-brainier for me, but for some, who have just moved here from even warmer climes than we are experiencing, they are having a hard time but even as they adjust, you see people running around in t-shirts and shorts and flip-flops!! Hardy and I don't mean the boys in the novels by the same name.
My coldest winter in the Great Lakes was a minus 17 below zero. And the thermometer never moved above freezing for nearly a month. I did manage to get out today and make it to the lake. I could only find about 20 pelicans so they are getting ready to get out of here for another season. The problem is, the weather were they are going is much worse by far than it is here. So, that could keep them here a bit longer. Some 50 or more have already taken off  on the wing  By Friday, it will be in the mid 70s here with little cold seen in the long-term for the area.

While at the lake, I saw a photographer that I recognized out shooting, and I did see a red shoulder and a Kestler hawk in their regular hang out areas. The seagulls are thinning out already and some of the cormorants have hit the road already. So tides will turn and focus will shift to the hawks that are nesting followed by the mallards raising their broods. I saw a pair of mallards up in the estate sections walking in some flower beds where there is ground cover. It's a great place to nest and I noted where and when they were claiming the area.

Love Is In The Air

A beautiful aqua color collar

With the Space X arriving at the ISS today, seeing these commercial grade hoppers on the road reminded me of the space shuttle at Titusville's Cape Kennedy. Funny how things trigger memories of the past.

I'll watch for them to bring the new brood down the road and cross over the lake level road to introduce the kiddos to the water. That will be about a month away. Nature has a calendar of events just like people, ad cycles and fashion cycles maintain. When you shoot wildlife, you need to know what their time lines are and then think like the birds, the ducks, coyotes, bobcats and a few deer here and there. 

The Big Thicket Raptor Is Back Surveying The Tree Damage

Today, finally, I spotted the ole boy high atop his favorite tree in the Big Thicket. After a bit, he took flight over the hillside ticket east of the tennis courts and points south. I could see him diving low and then come up and ride the updrafts then back down in a swooping dive. He most likely was hunting. I could hear the crows squawking  then saw five of them doing their, "this is my ground buddy!" squawks. As I drove from Buckner up the hill at Peavy and made the loop down into the park, over W. Lawther to the cottage at the Big Thicket. I parked and walked over to the edge of the grove where the Red Shoulders and the Owls have shared for a couple of years without fail. I was about to give up and walked up closer to Buckner, finding the tree that I had seen from Buckner earlier. Sure enough, there sat the ole boy eating lunch. What a welcomed sight that was.

There was a fairly large group of people sitting on blankets. Nothing wrong with that, but they had dogs--maybe three---and the ole boy was quiet uncomfortable with the barking and the kids chasing the dogs so close to the big nesting tree. That has been one of the things that is a concern, especially at this time of year when nesting and mating are close to happening. The last thing I want to see is for the ole boy to relocate at such a critical time. Or worse yet, the increased pedestrian traffic would cause the pair to abandon the nest with eggs. That would be disastrous.

Still, there is hope that nesting will take place as in the past without any trouble. The guys from Parks
and Recreation are aware that it's nesting time there, especially with the big tree being down for a couple of months. The guys have so much work to do  this time of year and with the past two floods already this year, there is tons of wood on the floor. They are going to give it their best shot to get the tree removed before much longer and I, for one, greatly appreciate all their work. The guys are two great crews--one for West Lawther and one for East Lawther. The do such a great job helping to keep the park in order.

In fact, there was a guy today that was shooting the pelicans and finches, from Delaware who commented about the trash in the Dixon. He was surprised to hear that there are volunteer groups that work picking up trash and were even out today in large numbers with the bill board date of January 12th not until this coming weekend, it shows that people do care and were working in support groups even today. They are much appreciated, too!

Cited from Buckner Road

Mr. Squirrel with a very high post to observe and take in sunshine.

Just finished his lunch, He's back at has normal spot when the mate is on the nest--although that hasn't happened yet at the old nest. But, he's back in the neighborhood. That's a good thing.

One Pelican Struck By Car on Garland Road Bridge

This morning, on the east side of the 78 Garland Road bridge at the dam, one of the big American White Pelicans was struck by a car. Seeing it on the roadway was unfortunate. When we share the park, it is also with the wildlife.

Yesterdays Rains Runoff.

In one of these images, after closer inspection, it looks as if a dog is on the island.

Web Engineer

The Aftermath of Flash Flooding Round One

Here are a few shots from today. It has been worse, I know, but it is also painful  to see not only the loss, but the true grit of so many that have devoted so much in the past having to redo what has been done several times beforehand.  God Speed and Lift Up Those Who Need It Most.

Getting around in situations like this is where knowing where the short cuts are and if you can't get into an area one way, how to get in that area from another. Sometimes, that back way requires a bit of a hike leaving the car in high areas. But at least I was able to cover all the areas including checking on the hawk or two that I normally check on regularly.

The Foot Bridge at 78Garland below the main spillway, tital pool and second spillway.

Boy Scout Hill between the Mockingbird  Footbridge and Mockingbird Lane Birdge

Just west of Fischer Road and W Lawther

Two years ago this wharf was completely rebuilt. It's gonna need some help again from the looks of it here.

Three Sets of Photographers Eyes Confirmed The Eagle Is Alive and Well

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day. Houston, the eagle has landed! And this eagle landed in a tree at White Rock Lake where I saw two eagles for the first time about 6 years ago and even posted the images when people were telling me they were not eagles. Come on. I am well aware of what an American Bald Eagle looks like in the air as well as perched on a tree branch. But, it has been a while since I have seen them again. That all changed yesterday.

I did get a handfull of shots. It's a big bird.One of the biggest that I have seen and I've seen more than these two. Never-the-less. Having been one set of those three photographers eyes, I'm just happy that the eagles are still finding White Rock a great place to visit.

Dead Center on the left fork . Click on the image to enlarge.

The Tales of a Beaver Are True.

When I got up this morning, the National Weather Service said that there was a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms today. After eating breakfast and sitting down at the computer with my morning coffee, the days normal routine was underway.

First , is the daily check of the website to make sure everything is running well. Sometimes, people leave messages on my site's email. That comes next. Normally, things go pretty much to Hoyle and the morning checks of systems, emails, sales data, licensing date and such usually takes me through my first cup of coffee. When I get up to get the second cup, before sitting back down, I usually will check on my flowers and give the sky a glance as to the sun, clouds and wind. Even though I can get that stuff on the NWS site, it's still that old Farmer's mentality that, "when clouds are high and thin, a weather system is moving in" type of check My grandfather taught me a pile of them as a kid. You don't get that old folk lore on the NWS page.

Second,  I did a couple of projects, wrote a few emails and finished up about lunch time. Once again, I got up to look out the window and half the sky to my right was clouds and the second half of the sky to my left was clear. Strange, I though. I stood watching the clouds move for a minute to see if they were coming this way or going elsewhere. Things were not in a rush to move and I gave it another fifteen minutes before checking again. When I did, it had cleared and the sun was just like I like, so it's time to get the street cloths on and leave the comfort cloths behind. In short, after eating lunch, I'm out the door by high noon.

Finally, as I headed toward the lake, I had not gone a mile before the rain drops starting hitting the windshield and they grew larger and larger until they were the size of big snowflakes. The slow speed on the intermittent wipers had to go to a steady downpour. By the time I got to the lake, it was raining cats and dogs. I stopped under the Mockingbird bridge overpass hoping that it would let up soon. There were four guys  with drones seeking shelter to keep their drones from getting wet. One was a standard big guy-type drone that can carry a DSLR type camera on its gimbal while the other was a about the size of a saucer with a built-in camera smaller than a Go-Pro.

Before we knew it, we were being pushed from the area between the creek and roadway to the area on the other side of the roadway that is even more protected. The wind was blowing sheets of rain almost horizontally like  I had witnessed in Hurricane David. The rain would let up for a bit and just when you thought that it was going to stop, it brought harder downpours. The guy with the big drone had stowed all his gear and had headed out. The three guys with the start up company were building straw and stick boats and were having races down the cement channel that flows from the top of Scout Hill down and under the Mockingbird bridge toward the ramp to the the westbound  Mockingbird  entry. They were talking about putting them on YouTube but I haven't checked the channels yet.

Getting some break in the heavy downpouts, I decided to make my route around the lake. By the time I got around to where the Katy Trail meets the White Rock Trail, the water had flooded the road. It is a stream that flows directly into a channel  that empties into the lake at that point.

I could not see that I was looking at on the edge of the road. I stopped and looked more closely to discover a big beaver that had been flooded out of his den and was seeking refuge up on the roadway. The pictures were made through my windshield with some frosting on the inside where the cold air and hot air were giving that "bathroom shower" effect to the inside of the car.

By the time that I made my way home, it was nearly three o'clock and once inside, it was time to start dinner. I usually start cooking about 3:30 and sit down to eat about 4:45. When I eat earlier, I don't have as many problems with my meds The days of the 8:00 p,m. meals are long a thing of the past.

Big Beaver

He didn't like me stopping.

A red star in green grass from yesterday

Baby Ducks Are Showing Up Bigger This Year.

Just a few weeks ago a couple of photographers and I were talking about how we had not seen any baby ducks this year. Normally by this time, we have seen baby ducks all over the lake. As we began to talk and compare stories, it seemed that the ducks were nesting under deeper cover this year. The reason being that there are more bob cats and coyotes at the lake than in the past. The big problem has been the bob cats. They are on the move in relocating from their normal north digs because of all the construction going on in Frisco and McKinney, Plano, and across the northern sector of north Texas.

Well, about a week after that discussion, I saw a Mallard hen in a Richardson park that had a clutch of 20 chicks. 20! Then, last week I saw a hen  with a normal amount of chicks on the lake, out away from the shoreline. That was strange too. To be that far out in the lake with chicks (goslings, excuse me) was not a normal situation.

Today, I saw a Mallard hen teaching her brood how to face into swells from high winds. It was funny watching the little ducks bury their heads in the water until the wave washed over them, then they came out with water all over their feathers. And, if that wasn't enough, my second stop I saw the mother duck that I had seen about 10-days ago in the current flow, but then, I got to looking and it was a wood duck with her chicks. So, what I had thought was a Mallard on this part of the lake was really a little wood duck. They were not nesting where they normally nest, either. There is something the ducks are really afraid of that is causing them to change their behavior to a very noticeable level. When I can catch the environmental biologist making his rounds, I will try to find out what's the word on this situation.

In the mean while, here are the pictures of two of the mom's with their goslings. The, Mallard teaching swimming lessons and the Wood Duck keeping her brood on the move.

The Mallard teaching how to take a lake swell head on.

Here, mom Wood Duck has told her brood to take cover in the reed bed. There were a lot of fishermen and people with their dogs walking along the shore line as I took this shot. She has 8 goslings. The head dress on the female is not near as nice and colorful as on the male. He was not in sight today,anywhere. And, these were a couple of miles from where they were first sighted and nesting boxes are provided. She is nesting in this area. She knows the lay of the land pretty well, too.

There are two goslings here with mom and the rest are  in a little alcove below her and still in the water. NB--- The Mallards are permanent residents. The Wood Ducks are migratory.

Late Spring Is Stil Kite Weather!

These two kites were flying high and proud at White Rock yesterday afternoon. It was a perfect day with gusty winds and very low humidity and dew points. In short, it was a delight to be outside for anything.  There were a couple of times that the wind dropped to near calm before the wind started back up and the gust returned.

These kites need 25-35 mph gust to keep them in the air with their 30 foot tails. People were seeing them on the higher elevation roads and driving by to take a closer look. Some, ever parked and got out to watch for a while.

One of my photographer friends that operates a drone, had a new drone helipad that has LED lighting for night time landings, but it keeps the dust and grass from getting into the drone, too. He was one of those that was driving home and wheeled in to not only watch but to get some shots. From his angle, he was above the kites and behind them. Ever seen a huge kite at 150 feet or more in the air from the back side looking down? I would like to see those shots eventually.

Twins with 30 ft Tails

Wind dropping first time.

This will show the size in relationship to the shelter house size as the wind gives out a second time. Five minutes later it was back up in the air.

Just A Story In Pictures

 I was ready to post the story of my walk around White Rock Lake yesterday which took a total of 7 hours and 9-minutes. That was with me calling it quits 1.18 miles from my car. There were two reasons why that happened. I don't regret falling short that little distance. At least I am here to post the pictures today. The post that I worked on all morning while cooking a pot roast and cabbage was lost because I forgot to save the file. I'm not perfect. I don't want to be perfect. I can deal with not being perfect and I'm sick of those that think that the world should be perfect. So there! As Matt Damon said in his original screen play for Good Will Hunting, "How do you like those apples!"

The experience was very worth while. It took longer than I had planned. I only moved at a 1.333 Miles Per Hour pace, far to slow for starting out an hour into the afternoon. The park closes at 11 P.M. While I would have had enough time to complete the trek, it was unsafe to do so in the dark with the final section in an isolated woodlands section were there has been trouble in the past. Also, getting help in that section would not be easy. So, the good Lord provided an out and I took it from a couple that was at the right place at the right time and offered to help.

This is the parking lot below Winfrey Point. The tree was wiped out during the storm last week.I am 2 hours and 45 minutes into the walk at this point. What you see on the skyline will take another 2 hours and 15 minutes. That is right at  the midway point and a tad more.

This is my first up close look from the lake side of the new food patio pavilions at the Dallas Arboretum. It's closer to the lake from the old patio attached to the entry gate. And, it's the last segment before reaching Route78 Garland Road, the other end of the lake.

This is one of the most unusual Reliquary Shrines that I have ever run across, partly because of where it is located. Along the south end of the lake is a trail that connects the east side with the west side of the lake. It is along busy Route78 Garland Road. From the trail, it drops off down to the water. This is behind a rail below the trail in a built up area created by who ever curated the shine. The crystal cross is attached to a solar panel that shines a light up from the bottom of the cross. There are two other solar lights along side. The roses are like a wax rose and the Easter eggs and pumpkins are on sticks that are pushed into the dirt that is surrounded by 2x4s or 4x4s. Just getting to the shine is what is so amazing and you really would have to be looking for it or looking along the side of the trail to even see it. Amazing.

Along that same trail walk, the city build an amazing lookout at the dam and below the dam along the spillway and tidal pool. This is the view looking down the spillway as it steps down in various degrees before reaching the tidal pool below, which turns the rushing water into a calm tidal basin before dropping off again in a series of  big concrete steps down into White Rock Creek as it winds its way a few miles further south to the Trinity River, then on several hundred miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The watershed here is as amazing as any of the great rivers of the west, Midwestern or eastern watersheds. I love being near water.