Scenes of the Season

A pumpkin patch at a local UMC in Dallas but very close to Plano.

Between here and there but not here because it's more over there, the season of fall has begun to play its magic. The trick has been more of a treat so far, but it's still early in the season. Just as Aida begins its run at Winspear Opera House and goes to the outdoor plaza for a free offering and picnic, before it begins its indoor performance, a healthy and strong cold front blows in from the North. It is also the much anticipated opening of the Klyde Warren Deck Park, a 5-acre park built over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway that has for years cut downtown off from the Uptown area. This isn't just a park to go sit down. Although, you can do that. It is a park of planned activities including an outdoor performance stage that will fill with bands come next spring and summer. There are hundreds--yes, hundreds of trees and gardens. And no, the trees roots won't grown down into the Woodall Rodgers making it like some spooky cave by next Halloween. Engineers know about these things. It's a bag of tricks that is a closely guarded secret to the society of engineers and they ain't talking!

While the much cooler weather is  great, it does present some discomfort for the thin bloods! They scream (I suppose because it's  Halloween) that it's c-o-l-d ! One thing you learn quickly about Dallas is that not everyone has thin blood. There is a second group, the diehards, that wear shorts and t-shirts all year long. Yes, even when it does get a bit more chilly. So, you acknowledge the ones screaming that it is c-o-l-d but pay little attention to them for the most part.The final group (the third) are the ones that  are dressed like they are in Churchill Bay, Canada  in mid January with more quilted fabric and fur than the village Eskimo's  wear that live in Churchill Bay.

Here are a few images from today and note the beautiful colors popping out. The temperature has just dropped about 30 degrees with 20 MPH North winds gusting higher. I'm in shorts and t-shirt but had the sense to put a long sleeved heavy shirt on and with a sweatshirt hoodie tossed on the front seat for back-up. It is weather sent on the wings of Angels to me.

Hopefully, I can ride the Red Line to City Place and take the McKinney Avenue Trolley through Uptown and see if I can get some shots at the Klyde Warren over the weekend. Monday would be a better day but I'll watch the weather and see how things go.

This afternoon as the cold front blew through. It was mid 80sF before hand. Tomorrow---59F--maybe!

These are from White Rock and then a section of Seasonal Witchery. I might have to do a couple of post to get the images on here so let's see how it comes out space wise.

The Return of the Big Pelicans

A pelican takes flight

It's nature's  Park Bench for the Birds !

The pelicans have returned to the lake once again. The gulls will follow soon. Then--the cycle ends and it starts all over again for next year. Somethings in life are timed by their cycles.

An Urban Pumpkin Patch

You would never know that it was ten days from Halloween with the North Texas temps riding into the 90s today. Of course, we already know that that is going to change come this coming weekend as a very strong cold front arrives and knocks the temps back down in the lower 50s during the day and a good chance to see a freeze with urban temps in the low to mid 30s!

It turns out to be a perfect day to find that jack-o-lantern and get it carved for when the cold weather hits and the witches in their pointed hats sail the night sky's on their broomsticks under the light of a full moon.

So, the good people of  Arapaho UMC have made it easy for you to purchase your pumpkins from them. They have a crew of little red waggons where you can load your pumpkin up and pull it to your car. They were moving pumpkins today when I was there. Their selection was great and the displays helped to get you in the season.

Great Selection

Great Customer Service!

Paddle Boarding on a Fall Afternoon

A paddle boarder works his forward stride.

Now, the glide from the stride!

A paddle boarder gets in a good workout on the lake between the dam and the water pump station at White Rock. The pump station building--a historic landmark--is getting a face lift thanks to the city of Dallas and the water district. The trail across the top of the dam and the front of the water pump station are currently closed,although the risk-takers continue to make tracks.

A Rough Day at the Fair Today......and Now This!

We've all seen the midway ride at carnivals and fairs that is a swing and as it spins around, you go higher and swing out at an angle. Now, engineers created the same ride but it takes you up to 200 feet and then swings. Well, at this writing, approximately 2300 hours, there are 24 people stuck at the 200 feet level at the State Fair. Dallas Fire Rescue is still working on a plan to get people down. They have been suspended up there for nearly two hours already. Twelve swings with two people per swing........the last one to be rescued could well be into the wee hours of the morning.

For those of you that are shaking your head and shivering just thinking about hanging 200 feet in the air, here is something that will shake and shiver you to your bones........Six Flags at Arlington just blew up the old ride that was a parachute that dropped you from 200 or 300 feet. The kicker,is that on that very site, they will replace it with one of these swings..........at 400 feet in the air.........I guess bigger,faster,higher is replacing common sense. Yes, I know, the rides are engineered to be totally safe. That helps me understand this bigger,faster,higher thing more than ever.

Now, the Texas State Fair has a great record of safety over the years. Eventually, somethings have to go a bit nuts and/or fail. This 126th running of the Fair ends it near-month- long run this Sunday. Two more days. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that the last two days go without incident.

Big Tex Burns

At approximately 10:25 CDT Big Tex broke out in smoke around his collar and motorized mouth,then broke out into flames. The only thing remained was his big steel frame and his two arms (still sleeved in material from his shirt). At 13:00 CDT his steel frame was traveling through the streets of Fair Park to an undisclosed location to be inspected by local fire officials.

State Fair Officials have already announced that Big Tex, who began in 1952 in Kern, Texas and was sold to the State Fair Board,  has stood stead over the fair for 60 years  and will be rebuilt. Beginning anew by next years State Fair a new Big Tex will reappear,bigger and better than before.

http://www.featurepics.com/online/Big-Tex-2358092.aspx

In Great Admiration and Respect

Today, in the warmth of a delightful fall afternoon, I started out in search of that one fall splash of color that say, "here, it's not New England but it can be from time to time almost as perfect." Last year, I found it in a patch of woods beneath the dam at White Rock  in the old fish hatchery stands. It was every bit as pretty as I've seen in New England, which is hard to wrap my mind around while remembering that while there are stands of maple trees in Texas, they are many,many miles away from the Dallas area. But every fall, I begin the annual search.

My mother, as a little girl, had grown up with some pretty famous names in baseball coming around. She was nearly 80 before I was able to find out that she had been a Dodgers fan and even rooted for the Yankees a few times. On the other hand, I had grown up on the St. Louis Cardinals and later the Detroit Tigers, but I did know the big names of the day even if they played for the opposing teams. Thinking back now, I had shoe boxes of baseball cards. and mom was hard to beat in answering questions about facts printed on the cards. This really was a side of my mom that I wish that I had understood more then than I do today, but thankful I heard her tell some of the stories when she was growing up.

Yet, when I start out on a shooting trip, the trips are pretty much routed out in a circuit and it follows the events and on-going construction, openings, discoveries of new projects starting or seasonal event. The shoot schedule isn't that large of a schedule but it does have to consider car or train, walks or doctor's appointments , shopping or living in general. The price of gas has cut down on a lot of travel by car and the trains have been a good back-up, but  sometimes, there is that magnetic-like pull that causes you to follow your instincts. Today, although it didn't start out that way, ended up that way and I'm happy that it did.  Mom was a rather self-contained person that would be like an earthquake that she knew or even had a friendship with some people. But, the proof was in the pudding as they say and she usually came out on top in that department. Yet, even today, I pay respect  to the dearly departed  when I can. After paying tribute to one of mom's -never-would-have-guessed friends, I decided that I would go in search of one of my boyhood idols that was in the same cemetery and not very far from where I stood while visiting one of mom's friends.



The plaques on the crypts of Mickey Mantle and his wife.
The two boys are in crypts below their dad.

Note the rows of copper (pennies) stacked up from visitors to the crypt. The two that I found most interesting were the stone and the bent nail. Stones are usually a Jewish tradition left after a visit. The bend nail, I am not sure, but it has it's significances most certainly.

The American Flag stands in the corner of the private crypt area where Mickey is entombed.

It is with much respect and admiration that I post these images in the love for the sport, the players, the institution that baseball is to so many. Mickey, you were my hero in baseball.