My New Normal Contains More of the Old Than Expected.

My daily life is pretty much all electronically and has been that way for more than a decade. Yet, there were a few things that lingered. Those things that did were pretty much because I was a bit ahead of those in services that I used, and they did not, and had not, updated to the electronic age.

At 14, I had my first checking account. It was because I had a rather large paper route that covered a full city of 1500. My thinking was that if you were going to get a part-time job, you might as well go for the one that paid the most money. Never thinking that it would follow me into adulthood and into the age of "golden years" as some would still think of "old" people not being active. It came to mind this week as I watched the funeral coach carrying the remains to the late Congressman, John Lewis travel through the streets of Washington from the Joint Base Andrews. I watched the tour make several key stops, like the Supreme Court, Martin Luther King's monument, The Black Lives Matter memorial and finally to the East side of the U.S. Capital.

Watching the photographers running to get that perfect shot; stand on a ladder leaning against a building so wires did not get into the shot. And also give a better angle for the image. It's only been two years since I stopped doing Live News Feeds. Doing those feeds had nothing to do with my health, rather they just became something that took up more time out of the day. Editor's photo calls had you basically stop doing what you were doing and go get that shot at the House of Blues Bartender's Competition or such things. In short, my first awareness of AP or UPI news hounds first hand, came my freshman year in college when the oldest university west of the Appalachian Mountains was the party school that made all the Look Magazines, and others of the time, cover pages regularly. My one room mate's father was the publisher of a towns newspaper.There was a sit-in at the town's square at college and all those M2 flashbulbs going off shook my roommate to the core. He just knew that when those photos hit the wire, his father would see him in the middle of the sit-in. He was right. His father was rather angry with him.

Years later, I sat in his father's office as I passed through the town and talked to his dad for a while. I ask him if he remembered that picture and his quick answer was," you bet I do." Later, I meet several other AP reporters and photographers that remained dear to me until they passed. The other ones, which taught me so much, was one of the several writers of the Nancy Drew Mysteries. Milly and I talked almost daily for a number of years. She was the city desk editor of a major newspaper in the Great Lakes area. There were a lot of staff reporters and those with specialty columns as their by-lines. They have all since retired and I only see one in the headlines from time- to- time. The point is, I do miss the Live News Feeds that were shot over the years, but I don't miss that deadline stuff.

Today I ended writing checks. The first time in 60 years. Each month writing one check and then paying all my other bills electronically, did kind of irk me. But, it did bring a part of my old normal into play and how it had been over those years. It made me think of 'ole Dodrill, the AP reporter and photographer friend. Not, having to re-order checks again is an old normal routine that is gone. Even my prescriptions come by DHL now, rather than me going over to Walgreen's to pick them up. My groceries now come to my door. The old normal is still a part of my new normal, just in a different way. Now, when I think of, or see photographers chasing political, Hollywood, sports figures, I will think, "I did that once."

Even this shot is a thing of the past. It was traveling to Houston where the hashtag has

a place on a downtown building on the Gulf. It was pure luck to have been at the same place the driver stopped to eat lunch. That's why I wanted the Maggie 1 in the shot. That's proof it was in Dallas.

I've always embraced change, never being afraid of it. Change makes progress overall and that's my way of thinking on being progressive. I'd rather be here than to fear change.

Change does seem to come more frequently today. It also seems that there isn't the attention paid to detail today than in the old normal. Which, in this case, beings itself into my new normal. Tell me it isn't so!

Stock Photography Is Me Happy

A long time ago I learned that the first rule of photography is: shoot what you like! It is the key to everything. So when I decided that urban photography was what made me happiest, that first rule came to mind every time I went out (which lately isn't that much). Never-the-less, it still applies to the few times that I have been able to get out.

Before my hospital stays took me into downtime, there really wasn't enough time in a day to go out and shoot, then edit, then submit to agencies. Now, being home bound for the last month, I have been going through my archives of images that I just never got around to submitting. Having said that, my total on line images has begun to show up in my workday.

The old adage that one should take time to stop and smell the roses, became for me, take time to see what you have been shooting. The stock business money isn't even a factor. I do log every sale to see the images that are making their way out into the business world, homes, offices, and board rooms. The places were I have seen my images is amazing to me. Having a picture sell is what brings me joy--not the money that it generates. It's a numbers game, for sure, but you can't focus on that. Your focus has to be on the image that your eye caught or something so unusual that it makes you gasp. That's why I relied on my shoot wheel so much over the years. If you don't plan to follow up on project, you miss the next one entirely. Things change!

Having said that, I still shoot a lot of images that give me direction for things in the future. Those images are not worth deleting because they become to you much like the greens book do for the pro golfers that they keep in their hind pocket. Notice that they look at it before ever hole. It's a guide for them as those shots that will never get published are for a photographer. Sure, it takes up space but it's like a travel journal or notes that you keep about customer likes etc.,etc. It becomes your journal of what makes a good shot in almost every situation.

Even something as simple as a bike sale can lead to something else within the sale or the location.

The Art Linkletter House Party Is Etched in Memory

"Arthur Gordon really knows how to make his reader fall in love with life . . . without being preachy, pompous or pedantic. His word pictures are fresh and sparkling; his personalized stories are heart-touching; his sudden shafts or poignant observation are illuminating. I read it with such a sensation of relief and happiness that I cannot recall anything in recent days to make me feel so good all over."

This quote shocked me more than anything because it came from none other than the iconic author of "Kids Say The Darndest Things."  Mr. Art Linkletter wrote this in time before Fleming H. Revell Company published in 1974, Author Gordon's book, "A Touch of Wonder ".  The quote appears on the back cover.

I have always loved life. Gordon's book came to me from a dear friend years ago. Gordon said, " A Book to Help People Stay in Love with Life. " It's one of those books were you can read chapter 6 first if you choose and read the other chapters at your own choosing. Yet, the entire book has organization to it that fits like a  jigsaw puzzle. In the past.

I have a few post about this book. It never gets old and finding new though in its pages seem to always fit the time period that is current.

No refreshments being served at this counter this season!

Since 1991, this book has been at the ready at my desk. It has become tattered and some pages have dog ears. The margins are marked and the chapter headings have  notes to myself. It won't be the last time that I pull it down from it's handy spot. After all these years, finding Art Linkletter's quote on the back page was indeed a shocker for me. I just never imagined that  I would  discover that Art Linkletter and I have such like thoughts about life.

Now Officially A Walker, It's Time For Some Gum Shoe Research

When the tow company carried my car off to that place where 'total loss' cars go, I became an official walker---walking to the bus stop to get to the train station. Sometimes, I have to transfer to another bus if I am away from the core of the city.

If the truth be known, I have wanted to walk the downtown streets with my cameras for sometime. Once in a while I would find a parking spot for a quick shot here and there but to walk the triangle and get some of the choice relics, you have to be on foot. Having said that, with all the building and expansions down town, the changes have been enormous. Some things have changed so much that the difference between the old and the new is now "the norm" with no signs of the old.

A new five acre park in Deep Ellum, on the historic streets that are known by the railroad bridge they go under at downtown's Dealey Plaza. Going the other direction they spread out and become Commerce, Main and Elm, but on the east end of downtown that borders on Deep Ellum (TX) It has been given the go ahead green light for construction. Only yards from Uber's new digs where the vertiport plans are unfolding. For those that are not sure what a vertiport might be, it's a kind of airport but limited to only aircraft that takes off vertically, like a helicopter (car) maybe. The Kay Bailey Hutichson Convention has an amazing vertiport on its core roof top.

Deep Ellum has undergone a modernization. The music venue is now sporting more places to eat and drink in addition to more shops to browse and it's first high rise residents tower.  All these spots are easy to get to by train.with Deep Ellum's two train stations.

Nearly 20 years ago, I spent 6-months in Deep Ellum doing a project for a Fortune 500 company. On any given Monday morning I could tell you exactly where a broken beer bottle lay. Meeting the President of the Deep Ellum Association and later, the Board of the Deep Ellum Foundation, was an honor in such a rich history of music that made Deep Ellum what it was as a music venue. Blind Lemon; the former Coco-Cola Dallas Offices has historic markers that can be found in Deep Ellum. Rudolph's Meat Market has been on Elm since 1895 and has been selling true butcher shop quality for nearly 123 years.

So, there is plenty of room for more gum shoe research. Who knows what I will find this go around.

A mural painted in Deep Ellum. Paint has always been a thing in Deep Ellum as the old tunnels were painted every year by artist and then there was the old school bus.

In Deep Ellum, there is a sign that reminds visitors that Deep Ellum was an unincorporated city at one point on the east end of downtown Dallas.

DFW's Southwest Quadrant Line-up and Wait Area is Once Again Clean of AA Planes.

When American Airlines first began storing planes at DFW, one area that could be seen from a live cam was the Southwest area of the line-up and wait area. Today, there were none stored in the area. As most of you know, the departing time is the moment your plane is pushed back for the gate. Forget the fact that it will talk 5-10 minutes to taxi from Terminal D (International Terminal) to the line-up and wait area. Then, you could be as much as 14 in line to take off. In the airport's defense, that time can vary depending on the type of plane that will be talking off. You don't line up a regional jet behind a 777 or a 787 and expect the time to be only a couple of minutes. The wake turbulence from the larger planes have separation times tagged to them. And you better hope that if a A380 is in the mix, that there is an open runway parallel to the west side runways. Construction is underway for new taxiways and lighting and a the new peripheral taxiways for both the 17's on the east side.The 18's  are on the west side where Founders Plaza is located.           

With that said, it's good to see more planes arriving and departing at the International Terminal again.

Top image: Picture being inside a bubble. Well, with these, you can be. Just be careful not to go down a hill.!!!

Bottom image: Is shimmers of a new pool that was late in opening last year due to construction delays and now the Covid-19 has shortened this season.

Stuff. Definitely Stuff

It's hard letting go of things, both animate and inanimate. Of course, I have long suspected that fact but this morning showed me just how hard it is to let go--again.

The tow truck arrived at 07:30 this morning to take away my old car that was totaled in an accident. As I watched the tow truck drive away, it was about as sad as I have been from recent experiences in years. That car was purchased online from Enterprise Rental Cars in San Antonio. I drove down to SA to pick it up in the first week of January 2007. It had 22,000 miles on the odometer. At the time of the accident, with the most of the front smashed inward it had  rolled up 129,000 miles and some how was still running. I was able to drive it home where it sat until today. It also was the car that Hotdog and I traveled over 1000 miles two times after my mom passed away. So the memories of Hotdog in that car was probably more difficult for me in letting go.

The car had been hit by carts on the right side by shopping carts at Sam's Club. The left side door was smashed in my a  flat bed cart at that same Sam's Club. It has been hit in the rear by a car that was highly suspected at being involved in an insurance claim scheme. Luckily, the police were setting in traffic as I made my turn and immediately hit by a car that pulled out of line. Now, this accident involved the front end so the little old car had been hit on all four sides over a 14-year period. There were a few dimples over that time that was caused by hail stones hitting other cars and bouncing on the header of the passenger door. Still, that little machine was tough and the most reliable car that I have ever owned in my lifetime.

But time moves on and change happens so the old normal vs. new normal will be an adjustment to deal with. I think that my new normal is going to be without a car. Period.

 It's just a matter of changing habits and while I was waiting for the insurance adjusters and claims people, I began to think about my new normal. With Covid-19 still surging, avoidance of crowds and  that even has driven me to grocery and drug store deliveries. It's been a pretty neat experience while I continue to let my heart muscle heal from the Ablation. That's a lot of stuff. Definitely stuff. Although, this time of year with Texas heat blooming, It's not a bad time to be inside under the AC, either.

Now, as I adjust to all the stuff, I hope to be able to get out a bit more when fall draws more near. It's amazing too, that some of the things that I regularly shoot have been cancelled. Even the State Fair Board announced  this morning that for the first time since World War II, there will not be a Texas State Fair this year. So, with that, it buys me a bit more time to regain my strength and work on healing all the downfalls of surgeries aftermaths. This year, 2020 has been a doozie. There is no question that it has topped the past years downfalls.

A fir tree in hot Texas Sun

A reminder to think!

The Parade Down A Neighborhood Street 44 years Ago Today. Come and go as you wish

Forty-four years ago  this very day, the two hundredth year of our Independence as a Nation, a parade of bicycles, many with training wheels still attached, made their way down our neighborhood streets. That neighborhood reminds me very much of one here in Dallas that we call the "M" streets. Two of my kids were in that parade and my youngest son had yet to be born. It was a festive morning. This is forever forged in my mind. Little did I know at the time,that my oldest son would leave us twenty-two years later on that very day. Twenty-two years later than that, I have ended my period of mourning, although the pain of KP's departure still is with me and always will be. I had an email from his sister this week and she mentioned how it was a hard time of the year for her. She mentioned it on her own without me saying anything about KP. KP was a dynamic person in that he touched so many lives in his 27 years. For the duration of this blog, it will carry a IN MEMORIAL footer only. It's been a loss that I have mentioned several times in this blog. I know that some readers are 'turned off' by any mention of death, but most likely, they have not experienced the loss of a child. It is something I would not wish on my worse enemy. Only those that have lost a child know the pain, the suffering, the pause in though to a flashback of memories that are triggered by some of the strangest things. Yet, it is a part of life we all must face one day. Having said that, from the poem that I wrote to KP, I Must Release You, I will post one last time on this, the 22nd anniversary of his death.

I MUST RELEASE YOU

Twenty-seven was to young to die.

For I will not see you grow grey hairs or

Crows feet in the corners of your bright

Eyes.

When your sister announced your death,

I cried as a father would, but I knew that

I must release you to go and fulfill your

Better dreams.

The canyon of void in my soul is dark and

Empty of your smile, laughs or pondered

Thoughts.

So I released you the day before my

Birthday. I know you are here at times,

For I see whisp of your presence as you

Come and go, checking on me or just to

Be home again. Come and go as you wish

But always know that I loved you so much!

I new then that I had to 'let him go'. What took twenty-two years more was that I had to 'let him go' once again. Which is why I am ending my protracted period of mourning.

We all deal with death in many ways, but its all the same regardless of who we are, or where we live. I am blessed to have a spiritual background all my life. There are experts that can tell us many things about human nature, but none can tell us how or when or why we reach the point to 'let go' of  a loved one. That is as individual as the person that is dealing with it.

The skyline has changed so much in recent years.

Next to the pointed building with the dark shadows that is known as Fountain Place, A new building, AMLI Fountain Place of the same modernistic  style is a residential tower with a darker blue glass, that fills in the space between the Fountain Place and the Museum Tower (completed in 2013) that has been added also. It too, is a residential unit that made the news because of the reflective light onto the Nasher Sculpture Center that opened in 2003.

                                                    

A Wondering Fool or a Heart at Rest.....Create A Ripple

At the end of last nights slumber, I awoke to the sound in my head of the 1949 tune by Terry Gilkyson, that was first recorded by legend, Frankie Laine. That song has played out in my thoughts over the years at various times, most of which I cannot remember the reason. But, to hear that song again in my head out of no where was a curiousness that I got to thinking about.

As the day wore one, all I could remember was the refrain:

My heart knows what the wild goose knows

And I must go where the wild goose goes

Wild goose, brother goose which is best?

A wondering fool or a heart at rest?

There are several other verses about a guy and his love in the wilderness of northern Canada in a cabin. But it has always been for me, the refrain that I grew to love about the song. It helped me to use a heart at rest throughout my life---good times and bad. However, the Canadian goose has always fascinated me over other bird species. There are more and more Canadian geese showing up in Texas and staying the entire year. In fact, I have several images of them, including a pair that raised several here in Texas below the I-35/I635 interchange. A Canadian goose born and bred in Texas!!! Imagine that!

And, as usual in my hunt for things, I end up finding things that I had looked for before and never found. Today, was no exception. And yesterday was the same way. My rental car took me on a tour of my Shoot Wheel Grid.

I have known an anthropologist in years past and about ten years ago, I ran into another on Twitter. He was an associate professor of Anthropology at U Mass. He writes a blog like me, He lost a brother and I a son, He has a laid back approach and in general, he is an amazing man. He also maintains his blog as a labor or love just as I maintain my blog for the very same reason. He recently posted an essay titled: "16 Reasons We Should Have Civil War in the U.S."

When I got the email of his posting a few days back, I put it on hold to read until later when I had  a chance to clear out my mind from the past week following the accident. So, this morning, I had an opportunity after breakfast to refresh my thoughts on the song mentioned above. Then, I clicked on Pat's email and read his posting. There, in the comments following the 16 reasons were a couple of quotes. Both were like the last two pieces of a puzzle being put together.

First was Carl von Clausewitz quote "Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.

Second was a quote from Terry Pratchett."no one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away."

Thank you,Pat for your post. Especially, these two quotes. It also reminded me that I should begin to look for the picture that you sent me a couple of years back of a snow pile with a shovel sticking in the top with the caption: "I'm in here somewhere." In fact, to your readers and mine, lets all go out and create some good and worthwhile ripples!!! That's called a legacy, isn't it?

Gas Prices in Texas as of  06-26-20

Like A Cholocate Chip Cookie with Walnuts and Powdered Sugar on Top

Well, today was a bitter sweet kind of day. Mom always preached about how important it was to have balance. I guess the bitter sweet is kind of like that in some ways.Since the Monday before Thanksgiving ( that is November in the US) until today, my balance has been up and down. In the hospital, out of the hospital. Covid-19 cancelled surgery, re schedule, cancelled again. And, to top it off in Grand Maul fashion, my car got totaled last week. This week, I was driving a rental car but that came to a close today when the car was returned to my favorite car rental place. My old car was purchased on line in January,2007; about  six months after it began life as a new District Manager's car in San Antonio. I found it on line, called, set up an appointment and drove to San Antonio (5 hours from Dallas) and drove it home ( another 5 hours). I called it a new car with a built-in road-trip. There would be two more road trips in the comping years. One was when mom passed and the other one was to go back the day her marker was set ( more complicated and yet another story). The thing about those two trip were that Hotdog, my Anyssinian cat made those two trips of totaling over 1000 miles together. Ironically, I had Hotdog for 14-years and I had my car the same time (less the time between mom's death and Hotdogs).

Outside of regular maintenance, the car didn't even stop running after my accident and because it was still daylight, I could drive it home. That car knew my 18-mile-wheel-shoot-field grid like it was a dog with his special toy,blanket or pool float. Now, it sits waiting for the insurance tow truck to take it away.

So, when I turned in the rental today, it was a victory lap around the wagon wheel one last time. With that, I am without a car and likely to remain that way. Transportation is never as cheap as the one you have, it is often said by someone, whoever. I've heard that phrase since I had my first little sports car, my 1963 Pontiac Lemans Coup with a three-speed on the floor. 

Having said all that (it really was a part of my storytelling). The final miles was a loop through the high meadows. The sight was stunning and shocking. Kind of like the forthcoming bitter-sweet end that was nearing). My comparison estimates to past years, the meadows are about two months ahead of normal. But, there were a hand full of super shots that get into that class of "money shots". A somber smile with a turned up dimple on one side of my face was offered to the old car for all the trips we made around that wagon wheel grid where our urban photos had been made. To bid the old car good bye is both the bidder and the sweet.

When uploading from my camera to the computer this afternoon, the total shots made today were the most shots made since this hospitalization, surgeries, infections all began. I still wear my Covid-19 (copy on the band) that stated that I was Pre-screened and negative.

The Change Of Our Banner Says it All.

It has been a year that will top the year that I posted about back a few months ago. The big thing here in Texas is that the Fair Board will not say for sure if there will be a state fair this year at Fair Park or not for several more weeks. Just imagine not having a state fair at one of the best locations of any state fair. Fair Park is the home of the largest collection of  Art Deco buildings in one location in the US. The park houses 7 museums, and much much more. But most of all, maybe not a corny dog that Neil Fletcher first introduced at the state fair in 1942. It was an instant hit and now sells numbers that make even gastronomists turn and look the other way. 2020 will be a very bad year to begin with for many reasons, but without a Fletcher's corny dog it would be the worst yet.

With the highest number of cases of the Covid-19 on the rise again, Dallas Metroplex is trying to reopen and things are so uncertain. Following the calendar that editors use for the seasonal changes, most of the buyers are already looking for images for the fall. But, no Rangers playing their first game in the new stadium that will be air conditioned from that hot Texas summer heat is trying to get going next month.

Having said that, now, there is talk about sports being placed on hold again. The uncertainty is going to be the psychology of cabin fever returning and people climbing the walls. Schools, sports, businesses, that are eagerly awaiting the reopening dates approaching, just might be put on hold again.

So, when I was thinking about what to use with the banner change for the beginning of Summer officially this weekend, the only thing that popped into my mind was that image of the question mark (?).
 

It's That Time of the Year When The Local TV Stations Show Pets In the Pool Cooling Off.

Watching the nightly news locally, the stations here in Dallas all seem to have people send in pictures of their pets cooling off in the back yard pool. Some are really cute. Some are just plain funny. Some even seem to show a bit of lonely-in-the-pool, wish you were here feel.

It got me thinking about other things. Like, I have talked to my computer, dishwasher and my car. My computer never went down and always worked in the office. My dishwasher basically, has never failed me. and my car, God love that little gas engine that just rolled up 130,000 miles. So, today, on my way to the doctors, I pulled into Jerry's and got the $5.00 car wash and go deal. The way that I looked at it was that it is the easiest way to clean two big windshield windows and 4-side windows all  at the same time.  Now, my pet name for my car will remain silent for this little ditty but she seemed to be as happy as one of those dogs on a pool float with a ball at their side. It just purred as I made my way to the doctors. Then, I must admit, I need to walk to rebuild my strength and stability again. So I found a parking spot at a little bit of a distance from the front door to the doctor's building. It was perfect for the shade of one tree to cover the car and still be covered when I came out from the doctor's office.

Now, call me nuts. But, there is something to this electronic thing that I have observed over the years. So, going out of my way a bit on a warm Texas afternoon in near mid June was for my little old car. So, when you see one of those television images of some pooch in a pool cooling off on a hot day, think about something that supports you everyday without fail. The rewards might even surprise you.

When you click on the image to enlarge it, if its not clear enough about the surprise of the abstract design, use your browser and increase to a point that will highlight the water on the windshield. I use the 100 % for a clear image.

Tootles!!