Christmas at the National Cemetery

Thursday, my car headed in the direction of the National Cemetery, between I-20 and I-30. Actually, I visit the cemetery every December. It is a somber and sobering experience. Somehow, the annual laying of the wreaths on each grave is planned for this Saturday, December 12th. I missed it by two days. Some families go ahead and put the wreaths down themselves. There were a few graves that had the wreaths already. I was struck at how brown the grass was all over. It's just gone dormant and has not actually died. The green wreaths stand out against the gray stones and the brown grass.

After leaving the cemetery, it was on to Founder's Plaza at DFW International Airport. Shooting the Fresnel Lens on the official FAA beacon  that every airport is required to have operating  between civil dusk and civil dawn. Of course, it can only be shot during those times when it is operational.  There were some technical issues with the camera again. It's always low light shutter speeds that give the most problem, even though the settings are made according to the manual. Something else to work on during the upcoming winter waiting for the first snow storm or ice storm!

The National Cemetery for Dallas Ft. Worth

It's an annual trip for me. I only lost one friend in Viet Nam. My Dad is buried in a National Cemetery in Little Rock.

The Fresnel Lens on the official FAA Beacon at DFW International. This is it!

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 Today was yet another amazing day. Yesterday, an image shot was a test. Not knowing how it would come out in editing, many times, images are shot this way, then go back and shoot the subject from all kinds of angles and light conditions. So while out today after eating at In N Out, it was off to re shoot this amazing pattern that is only available at a certain latitudes. Light hitting it at another latitude will not produce this pattern. There was a test run on the other locations run yesterday and then re-tested today. As anticipated, only one latitude would allow the sunlight to create this pattern. It's like a rainbow. Light must hit crystals of ice or raindrops at exactly 12 degrees from where you are standing in order that you see the rainbow. If the light does not hit the ice crystals or rain drops at exactly 12 degrees to you, you will not see a rainbow. This pattern is much the same as a rainbow for light with one exception, wind can cause the panel to move up and down slightly and it will change the pattern some but the basic pattern is still there.

As stated before, light is an amazing thing when shooting. The low level angles of light this time of year is like no other and the enjoyment of shooting in fall light is my most favorite time of the year.

Speaking of rainbows, ice crystals were aloft today at about 22,000 feet. And, there was a rainbow prism over Sunset Bay's dock. It also produced an amazing sunset.

The cloud deck is high level ice crystals from upper level moisture streaming into North Texas says the dean of Dallas weather forecast.

The dark clouds is visible moisture aloft

This was about 10 minutes after the sun set. The light is coming under the clouds and producing the colorful hour of civil dusk.

Ever Get A Song In Your Head And Can't Get It Out?

After spending four days in the house during the flooding rains of Thanksgiving, when the weather broke, cabin fever was in the race for the front door. Now, with twice as many days of almost perfect fall weather for the next ten days, my cardio walks have increased past the midway mark of the pivot point scale of zero to 10. Today, was one of those days when it was just a delight to be out walking.

 On the return trip to the parking area, I got a chance to sit down on a bench and look at the skyline of downtown Dallas some eight miles in the distance. The air was clear and bright and the outline of the buildings was sharp and crisp for a change.  As I sat on the bench listening to the sounds of the lake and watching planes take off over downtown from Love Field, ATC had the airports back on their normal flight approach from the north.

 Then eureka points began to  spring forth in those moments of content and white noise. My brain was once again thinking and it felt good. Like a computer printer, item after item was popping across my nerve endings like pages in the printers collection hopper. The top item was a bit of a revelation and I had to stop and think about that for a minute before thinking to my self that the EP was very much correct. It has been 10-years since I have decorated for Christmas. Ten Years! The second EP that popped up was that although I had not decorated like I once did, the memories of when I did were still deep in my heart and will always be there, whether I resume decorating for the holidays or not.

That thought genesis lies in the fact that there has been so many pictures taken at the dam and spillways, the past week,  the association of water over the dam had triggered that EP. As the afternoon passed and the joy of being out in the midst of nature, suggested to me that there were red grapes and a banana in my tote bag in the car, and that the return trip home would be paused long enough for a short list of staples needed from the grocery store.

On the way to the grocery, first it was a whistling, then it was singing the lyrics to the old
Tom Leher's Lyrics to Polution 
I could not get that song out of my head. You can probably figure out hold many years it's been since I bought that old 33 1/3 LP. My Lord! where has the time gone?

Clear Skies of Downtown 8-miles in the distance.

The seagull was grabbing the minnows just below the water's surface.

The Sun Returned

With the rain out of here, the sun was out for the first time since Thanksgiving Day. Even though the light north wind was a bit cutting at times, it still was a delightful day to get the cardio walk in and

The tidal pool looks placid again.

Birds were every where in the trees.

The beaver several days ago. See the tail----it's for sure, a beaver.

take a few pictures.

The storm with over eight-inches of rain was hard on the beaver population. Four beavers were killed. The city parks service picked up the last one this afternoon. I really did appreciate the help that I got from  Parks and Recreation to take care of the one that was in a very populated spot for visitors. Thanks to the guys at the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department for their help. Two were killed crossing 78 at San Rafael;one on the Dixon Creek crossing of Buckner and the fourth washed up into the parking area at Sunset Bay. I had just taken a picture of one going up the channel into the old fish hatchery just before the storms hit. I've been looking for him but haven't seen him again. I fear the worse outcome with the recent outcome from confirmed deaths.

The water flow has really slowed down. The grass caught on top of the new USGS automated water gauge is still funny. I'll call the field office and find out how they report that much water flow.

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What Day Is It?

It's Saturday, the Holy Day of Obligation. GO BLUE!     Update:  Michigan lost. College   Football has changed.

Monk Parots

More Monk Parots

American White Pelicans stop from their nesting grounds in Montana on their way to Central and South America. They don't fly over open ocean, however.