Henry, Gas Up the Jet, It's Out Behind the Barn

Some things just all fit together regardless of how they are related as a whole. Today, was just one of those days when every thing fit like a glove. It was a great day weather wise and that just made it even better.

December has been a hot and cold kind of month anyway and I don't mean weather.  It's just one of those Murphy Law things that is good one minute and bad the next. It's usually hits during December, too! So when the stroke of luck is good, especially during December, it's always kind of like that magical gift.

Today it was just a good day and for that, I'm thankful.

A genuine word



The two men are just hanging out!

Henry, Gas up the Jet. It's Out Behind the Barn.

 

What a Warm Holiday Surprise

The Stop sign and the Handicap parking signs were also decorated.

All the signs and poles that are part of the Post Office Building were decorated.

The outside drop boxes were also decorated.

If there are unusual things that I am not fond of, jurisdictional boundaries just might be one of them. I can recall a time when a friend of mine lived in Michigan, yet, had an Ohio address on his drivers license, which was Michigan. Apparently, at that time, the U.S. Post Office did not respect state lines when it came to the delivery of the mail.

 At one time, (it happened to be the weekend of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game), Greg got stopped by the Ohio State Patrol ("targeted because I had Michigan plates", he said. The cop detained him for a fairly long time because his address on his Michigan license was not 1234 Any street, Ottawa Lake, Michigan, but 1234 Any Street, Toledo, Ohio.

Greg finally got someone to listen who knew that the Post Office did that along the lower counties along the Michigan state line between US 75 and US 23. Eventually, it was changed and the serving post office was designated Monroe, Michigan rather than Toledo, Ohio and the addresses were changed on drivers licenses. The Michigan State Police seemed to be happy afterwards, but I'm not so sure about the Ohio State Patrol, especially on game day.

My post office is a large facility with multi-offices for postal inspectors etc., on the second floor. It is the designated post office for my zip code. I don't like it. So going a Google search one day, I discovered that the Lake Highland Post office, while not my official post office for picking up packages etc.,etc., is in mileage, closer to me. It's a small complex in an industrial office and warehouse area and is much easier to get into and out of while running errands.

It was the official day of errands and mailing Christmas Cards. Out side of mailing one bill that requires postage, I only get postage this time of year. So, off I headed to my little post office that is unofficially not mine, but I like the employees there, especially the one counter lady that I kid all the time about  finding my senior citizen discount. She says she is still looking for it. When I got up to the counter, I ask her for a half-book of stamps. She looked at the one envelope blotched with stains from the melting slush. Before she could say anything, I said to her," I dropped this getting into the car. I was going to go back inside and re-address the envelope but decided that the person it was addressed to (my youngest brother) was in the 76% that would blame it on the Post Office any way." She broke out into a laugh and said," we already get enough of those!"

After dropping the envelopes into the inside drop box, I headed to the car. As I was about to pull out onto the side street, I could not believe my eyes. Making a circle and pulling back into the lot, I parked and got out with the camera. It was a simple gift to the customers, but somehow, it just struck me as being one of the nicest gifts that I have received from a place where I do business. So to the employees of the post office at the Lake Highland Branch, Thank You!! Thank You So Very Much!!.


 

Update on Some Previous Post

This has been an unusual winter storm. One, it fell below freezing for 72 hours. Two, when it did start to thaw, the nights were in the 20s so what melted re coated the roadways and sidewalks. It's been a roller-coaster of a storm from start to finish. At least, the sun was out today and it was above freezing again. Still, it is nothing like a winter storm in the Great Lakes. And, of course, their out breaks of tornadoes in the spring isn't anything like ours. When it comes to weather, I like it all! Hot, cold, stormy, icy, snowy, high winds. I'll stop there because I don't like the dust storms that hit the desert southwest. That's a bit much.

Today, I had a couple of errands to run so while I was out, I ate lunch and then took a walk before heading back to the comfort of a warm house. When I came in, I couldn't find the cat. When I can't find her, I always get a bit anxious. I always check her favorite hide outs. And, she is a creative cat, still, she surprises me with a new one now and then. Today, I saw the comforter at the foot of the bed move, All I could see was her rear end. She had gone head in into the folds of the comforter. When she heard me, she did a turn around and came out kinda surprised but then went into the mode of " What's up with you?" as she does a big stretch on bed followed with a bigger yawn. Cats keep you humble.

The bee hive that I found a couple of months ago along a trail must have been frozen out, or the parks and recreation guys moved it because of the danger of it so close to the trail. There was no sign of the hive today.

Garland had to cancel their Christmas on the Square. The Children's Hospital Christmas Parade in downtown Dallas, that is syndicated to many markets during the month of December, was also cancelled and will not be re-scheduled this season. Balloon handlers are booked else where as are many other parts of the parade units.

Ice on a Foot Bridge

December this year has just not been it's normal self. Things do change and we all must adapt to that, but I must admit that sometimes, it is more difficult to adapt than at other times. That's Life as old blue eyes would sing. Music seems to help with adapting, though.

Ice on wild berries

The Grocery Shelves Were A Funny Sight

When it drops below 25 degrees F for longer than 24-hours, my dad taught me to go out and start my car to get the oil warmed and flowing in the engine. Yesterday, I took old Betsy for a little ride after getting the ice chipped of the windows and the doors unstuck. Today, it was easy to get into the car, quicker starting and I got the wipers unstuck. It appears that headway has been made.

The strange thing, which isn't all that strange, is that today, the roads were actually more hazardous than they were yesterday. Everything than melted yesterday froze with the temps in the teens over night and the high not making it more than 23 or 24 degrees.

I don't complain. The coldest that I have survived was in the early 60s. It got to minus 17 below. And, I've lived in temps below freezing for more than a month so a 72-hour period isn't that bad for me, although, some have never experienced that for any length of time and its a bit of a shock come the second day.

A Patio Pot encrusted in ice

Inside the grocery store, the bread isle was bare bones. The meat counters were bare bones and then some. The dairy isle was just as sad. The staples, basically, were the hardest hit; bread, meat, dairy. I had to chuckle. It was funny. One would expect this before the storm, not two days afterwards. But, there again, I don't have a house full of kids anymore that can make a loaf of bread disappear in one meal. Life does bring laughter as you get older.

No small branch by any means

The three-tiered  drinking fountain was iced over at all levels.

A New Sign's First Ice Storm

The sign was being tested this afternoon. While out getting the gas tank filled before the ice storm, it was working but the ramps were marked closed. It's due to open almost any day now. While getting a shot of the sign, getting a shot of the electronic gear that will be focused on cars as they enter and exit was a give me.

It was 50 degrees colder today than yesterday and the wind was a major factor with the chill index. While making my return home from the gas station, Jim Cantore, of The Weather Channel was setting up for a live shot. I should have pulled in and got a shot of him but the wind would have been in my face and the decision to keep on going was made. Sorry bout that for you fans of Cantore. He's less than two miles from me at the present. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind that I didn't stop, though.

Right now as I write this, I have my toes and fingers crossed that there will be no power loss during this ice storm. If Dallas makes it through the night without any major power outages, hopefully, tomorrow morning, although cold, some shots of the ice, maybe!

Check out the new sign. It's going to be something new to get used to in the very near future that is different than the old HOV lanes that were free. These lanes will change price depending on the traffic flow, I'm told.

The prices are displayed as they change.

Look at all the cameras ! But look closely, they aren't all cameras. There are scanners and readers mixed in there. Next, look at the  pully system of cables  attached to the bank of cameras, scanners and readers. This is actually, pretty scary when it comes to privacy concerns.

This is the back side of the previous image. This one has got you as you drive with your back to it.  Spooky!! You can see a good example of the cable system, however.

The Moving Gingerbread Houses

 The moving gingerbread houses (c.1890s) didn't move far, but it can be confirmed that they moved from where they were originally. Another piece of the puzzle was also revealed. As in any state, but Texas especially, land is like Fort Knox and it's prized dearly. It wasn't hard to figure out that the reason for the move of two old houses and a railroad depot and rail car was for the land they occupied. Call it progress. Some still do.  I'm not so sure that progress wasn't more about trying to preserve face for  the miscues of  others over the years.

There is no doubt that the new office buildings going up on the land will complete the look for  civic services for the city. The real question is why the city built the original building on the same block as the old railroad station and the two historic houses built when Garland had not yet  seen its first fifty years. However, what ever the real reason, the moves have been made and the excavating equipment was puffing smoke with every blade of dirt pushed out of the way to put in a foundation for a three story building today.

The houses looked sad as they faced where they once lived.     

c.1890s

Gingerbread Architecture

Garland's Moving The Furniture Around

At the new location when placed on foundation

It's still a very historic building regardless where it now sits.

A recent trip to Garland to an antique dealer found the unexpected. The old railroad station and train Pullman car that had been a historic landmark and the two turn-of-the-century gingerbread houses were gone from their original location.  The land had been cleared and leveled. Obviously, the buildings had been moved and I set out to find the new locations. It didn't take long to find the rail station and Pullman car. They had been moved a few blocks north and west next to the Dart station where the old DGNO (the local short line) had its engineers and crews office on Walnut Street.

The Dart station was the northern end of blue line but now is extended into downtown Rowlett. So the exposure of the old rail station will be a good asset in their new location. Finding the old houses was a bit of a letdown because I never did find where the houses had been moved. That will have to wait until a later time. Perhaps, a good warm winter day or early spring shoot.

It appears that Garland is doing the same as downtown Plano did after the red line came to Collin Country. That downtown Plano project was such a success that a second wave of growth is underway. Downtown Garland is moving these  properties at the right time and it will only add to the overall growth of the Metroplex. I'm always glad to see well planned furniture moves cities make to improve the overall scheme of things. At the same time, I am a historian-at-heart and do not like to see historic buildings demolished or relocated for the most part. On rare situations, it becomes history within itself if done right. Garland seems to be on the right track (pardon the pun).

When you stop to think about it, Dart from downtown Dallas now goes to downtown Garland and Rowlett, downtown Plano, downtown Carrollton on the green line, and with the addition of the "A" train, downtown Denton in Denton County. With the orange lines, and connections to the TRE, downtown Irving  and downtown Ft. Worth, or staying on the orange line and DFW terminal A is just a year away. While Las Colinas is available now.

The amount of distance that can be covered with Dart from downtown Dallas is astonishing when you think about it. Sometimes, moving the furniture around makes for an expanded living area. And like a furniture move in the house, sometimes, you trip on the relocated furniture, but eventually get used to the rearrangement. Anyone visiting Dallas and can't find anything to do, isn't looking very hard.