The Massai Culture Right Here In Dallas

Generally, there is a plethora of places from which ideals can be drawn. My ideal well has always been full and seldom sees a drought. Those moments of inspiration do come from that thought well so to speak. They always have. Mom, was creative like that and mine comes from here side of the family tree. Today, opening the door and stepping outside after all the rain and flooding, big puffy billowing clouds against a blue sky awaited me. In just that instant, my thoughts raced ahead of my shooting list to the Dallas High 5.

Dallas High 5
For one, the High 5 is a very unusual forest of concrete pilings that stretches out beyond the project itself and travels west for about 11-miles to another massive interchange of roadways at LBJ Freeway and IH-35E. Of course, the High 5 was built first in 2001 to unstress the high volume of traffic on the LBJ and U.S. Highway 75, Central Expressway.The ground zero point was the old tight-wound traditional 1950s cloverleaf. Then, boom! This giant piling came jetting out the center of that clover leaf and the High 5 was born for Dallas traffic commuters. To this day, my GPS can pinpoint that actual piling and in my head, the vision of  all that came after it is like a Red Box movie.

My first stop was in the mid cross over in front of Texas Instrument's North Campus complex. There is an office complex there where generally Saturdays will find very light use of the parking lot and having inquired with security a long way back if using one of the  out-of-the-way parking spaces would be okay. So, the word was, yes, and then the security guy added, if you need to use it sometime in the future, the area were you described would be okay unless there was a fire or police emergency in the building. Thanking him, I filed that away until today.

Meeting the Maasai Grill people
Moving on, down to the heart of the High 5. Ground Zero..The Center of the Mix. Or, as has been noted at the Starbucks from time-to-time, where the Red Light Camera winks way to much at LBJ and Coit Road. So just before getting to that intersection, a new sign grabbed my attention. Pulling into the parking lot and going inside, I ask a gentleman if I could park there for about 15 minutes or so. Explaining that I needed to take a few pictures of the High 5 and just don't have anyplace to park. He said yes and after wards, I went back inside to thank him and showed him a few pictures of his business that I had taken. It was the high point of my the day.

 He and the lady behind the counter  are native Kenyan people. They are Maasai people. They are Maasai culture. Mom taught me about cloth years ago and I have long admired the color of the cloth that the Maasai people wear.  The restaurant, bar and lounges name was inspired from the Maasai people. Their culture is current and up-to-date. The Tribe in Kenya are well known and associated with Kenya and Northern Tanzania. They are known in the Ngorongoro Crater of Tanzania for more than 150 years as cattle hearding people. It is to the ancestorial Tribe as my Genesis 1:1 beginning is to me.

The menu will feature authentic Kenyan Food, music and dance.

The Menu
On the menu is samosas, chapatti's goat meat, ugali, pilau and much more are offered. They are located on the north side of the west bound service road between SB Central at LBJ and WB service road at Coit. The address is 8059 LBJ Freeway. Go enjoy  authentic Kenyan Maasai food.

Link to a history and culture
Maasai Tribe Information

This family was so nice. They will enjoy greeting you to sample their Kenyan culture

The rock garden greets you as you make your way to the door.

See that truck in the Express lane? The restaurant is immediately on the left on the service road WB. 8059 LBJ at Coit

That pole is pointing to 8059.

Remembering Memorial Day, Everyone

Stars and Stripes

Traditional Decoration Day

Remembering Our Troops This Memorial Day

Another Parallel Universe Everyday

A few months back, while talking to a couple of bike riders, each of us discovered the importance of changing up the daily routine from time to time. It is more easy than not, to get locked into a regular routine and end up doing yourself  more strain than help. Each of us, had reversed our routines of travel and discovered how much the world around us had changed. Each of us were astonished how easily this had happened.

This past week, my travel route was flipped and not only going the reverse route, using a parallel street that was never used on the old route was used in the new. What a discovery that revealed. Whole new landmarks had appeared. Overnight, it seemed to have happened. Yet, it was going on all the time in that parallel universe only a street over from my regular travel route.

Another interesting thing  that can be a benefit is not to always be in a rush. This past week, I started keeping track of the times that someone blows a horn just as soon as the green light changes. From this experiment, my take-away is this: People have grown more and more impatient and show more frustration in travel. Generally, they are also on their cell phone  to wit: their stress seems to be coming from that added piece of electronics that  drivers rest their head upon while driving. On my return trip home, while sitting in traffic and watching an extra long left-turn lane  turn in front of me, out of fourteen cars, eleven were on their cell phones. Eleven! It was like watching a bee hive swarm.

When arriving home, immediately, the folding chair went into my trunk. This summer, instead of my normal house routine of leisure coffee  on the porch, the trusty walking stick and camera case was moved closer to the door. My pledge to myself is to get out early in the morning for my cardio walks, find a cool shady spot at the lake to eat a light lunch, and stay away from those horn-blowing, yoga fakes that want you to believe they are in control of everything. Sure sounds like it at a red light.

Having said that, finally, Fifteen years ago, A CEO from a Fortune 100 hired and then commissioned me to do research on the downtown area for potential growth and development. For six months every day during that time talking to business owners, and generally observing patterns ended with the company presenting a grant to the Deep Ellum Foundation. Now, fifteen years hence, everything that I saw, found,discovered and foretold that got Deep Ellum that grant, has come to pass and is still coming to pass with the pounding of pneumatic nail guns, cement truck and bobcat maneuver.

 The Farmers Market has been re-designed and re-configured, re-constructed, re-arranged and even up-scaled. It has re-focused  from the days of the old open-air sheds to just one now. The other three are now under construction for high density living. What once was an area for potted plants, trees and shrub sales is now a new building with the name Mudhen Meats and Greens. A visitor wearing a Detroit T-shirt and I were quick to note that the name was Mudhen and not MUD HENS. Only someone who lived in the lower  Great Lakes and were Tiger Fans would know that the Mud Hens is the minor league farm team in Toledo, Ohio, for the Detroit Tigers major league baseball team. Then, it hit me. Oh, NO! my baseball hero, Ian Kinsler from the Rangers is now playing in Detroit and if he ever failed to meet his numbers, he could be sent to the minors and that would make him a MUD HEN! And he could be playing in Fifth Third Field some day.  Funny how life continues to be a circle. Enjoy the images. In fact, there are so many I am thinking about putting an additional slide show on the web page. It might take a couple of weeks to get things rearranged and set up, but it's worth watching for under the Writing tab.

Mud Hens and Fifth Third Field

Looking at the far east end of downtown from the Farmer's Market.

Where the main shed once was is now high-density living in the making.

Remade, the only outdoor shed that remains. This is where the water melon cornor was  for years.

 

A Very New Resident at the Lake

It's not that I do not  like photographing birds, it's more that I enjoy watching them go about their normal daily routines more. I've been watching two bird nest cams for a couple of months and have learned a vast amount of things that birds do. It's more like John Muir. Observe and leave no footprint. I've seen experienced birders come plopping through like it was a grand picnic gathering!

Yesterday, I was able to do the John Muir thing and found the second nest of a pair of red shoulder hawks in a matter of a few minutes. First, you listen. The female on the nest will call out to her mate for nest change duties and even food for the kiddos. It's a screeching sound.  It sounds like a crying out. Also, the male will never be far away from the nest. The nest is in his territory and he protects that airspace from intruders. It's kind of like a fighter jet being scrambled  when a plane wanders into controlled air space.

Then, secondly, you watch such things as shadows on the ground of bigger birds, especially if there is an open area near the nesting site. Dad will be flying overhead to the nest, but never directly from where he is. It's a diversion plan that nature plants an inate ability to do such things from birth. Nature's software implant, if you will. It took three trips around before the male actually made it to the nest. The pattern was like a triangle elongated. Amazing, actually.

Then, finally, when the nest change is made or Dad flys off after delivering food to the nest, you watch to see where he went. Usually, it will be into a stand of trees. There is that inate non-direct route to the watchtower post where he watches the area near the nest. It's quite a routine. It's nature at its best.

From what I have learned from the Eagles nest is that feeding times will vary, usually the 10-11 and the 2-3 time slots are the best and most active for the nest. I applied that to the Red Shoulders and by-golly, it was like hitting the jack-pot.  I also observed something that I had never seen before. A Red Shoulder on the ground only a few feet away from a squirrel and it was like I know you are there but hey! they just mowed the grass and the bugs are like going to the Dairy Queen for ice cream!
No one was in panic mode and the Red Shoulder flew up into a tree en route to his scheduled weigh point to his hangout tree,having taken a few bugs while on the ground.

DISCLAIMER To My Editor, et al: In a lifetime of photography, I will never ever use a computer tool like Photoshop on any of my images. That is a deep seated law from years and years ago. Last night, when talking to a friend in an e-mail, I sent her the image to view since it was so cute. She photo shopped the image and sent it back to me. Therefore, there is one image that is out there that I am now aware of that has my numbering system on the photo with the added  word Kindle to the image. I am very sorry about that fact and have now destroyed the RAW image completely. Therefore, there is an amended copyright now that will show for that image MA203670_kindlephoto_52742762.jpg. That image has been altered from the original by a third party. dallaspaparazzo retains copyright for that image with the alteration noted and published herein.

Still, enjoy the cuteness

Diclaimer applied. Baby Red Shoulder Hawk at White Rock Lake.

The Met Life Blimp Is In Town

Phone Cases Samsung Galaxy S7 Case https://t.co/eVzDKb735N Inspired by a blimp over the lake yesterday.#phonecase

— dallaspaparazzo (@dallaspaparazzo) May 14, 2016

Yesterday afternoon, coming from behind and toward Winfrey Point, the Met Life Blimp was tacking toward a lake crossing. It was perfect timing to be on the dock. After shooting the crossing,  I left the west side of the lake and drove over to Winfrey Point and watched the blimp until it landed at either Lancaster Airport or the old Red Bird (Dallas Executive) airport, about 12-15 miles away. I could not tell from the angle which one it was, but the air was clean, dry and crystal clear so there was not much to distort a view. The National Weather Service was reporting visibility at 13 miles. Here is the famous blimp, one of several operated by MetLife. This one gets about 60,000 miles of travel per year and travels with a crew of 2 pilots and a ground support team of 5 vans. There is more to it than just watching a blimp sail lazily over a lake. But, gee, that is what dreams are made of, right?

At this point, he was behind Winfrey Point heading for a lake crossing  toward the Filter Building, north of the dam. He was about 3 miles out with a 5-10 MPH SE  headwind

The blimp is in town. It might be covering the Byron Nelson at Cottonwood and then the Colonial since they are one week apart and under the sports contract. Purely speculation with some common sense,though. The 2016 Schedule shows appearances for the blimp at those events.

It's A Small World and Shrinking by the Hour,Judge Kopf

It's a long story how I know the name of a Senior United States District Judge for Nebraska. In fact, I have known several over the years from the lower courts to the Appellate courts, both state and federal. There have been a few lawyers woven in the fabric of this family from time to time.  While physically meeting face to face growing up, it was his father that I knew better and admired for having been on the bench himself.  

Then, years later, I ran across a blog, Hercules and the Umpire, that the distinguished and gruffing Senior U.S.District Judge had authored. My reading enjoyment of his points of view about life as well as law was a delight until someone caused him to 'forever end' his blog. That enjoyment  in reading his writing ended in just under a year. Since then, I have gone back to his archive and read most of his writings on that blog.

Just today, I read a sports article about a guy who had filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Nebraska saying that under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act balloons that were being released at Nebraska football games after first point scores (it has been going on for 50 years and well settled that it is a tradition) were"carried away by the wind and forces of nature" and that the "balloons and attached ribbons present a serious threat to wildlife through entanglement" Randall Krause, of Omaha said in his suit. He continued to say that "the balloons, which are made of latex, are also dangerous for animals if eaten". The story was reported in the Lincoln Journal Star and on the Internets, Sam Cooper, Dr. Saturday, at Yahoo Sports.

Obviously, the suits self-authored claim that wildlife can be harmed has never watched any wildlife nest cams or videos. There is a nesting pair of Ospreys now, currently raising their chicks in a nest of plastics and string and yes, even a thonged flip flop shoe. This past week, I watched on the news where a Wildlife Ranger had to remove a glass globe from the head of a deer. If, I had any concerns about balloon releases, it would be more for one being sucked into a jet engine over any harm to wildlife and I love wildlife passionately.

On the flip side of the previous paragraph, over the past 15 years, several people have ask me if I could take a picture of a balloon release in memory of a stillborn life or a sudden death.  It is something that I am more than glad to do in as much as I have lost a son and the pain, while less now after 18 years, still hurts and never goes away. And, at certain times when the need arises, I'll stop at Kroger's and buy a Mylar balloon, pen a note with an email address or phone number, tie it to the ribbon and go out away from trees and high-tension power lines and release it to be "carried away by the wind and forces of nature" as Mr. Krause stated in his suit.

So, for some unknown reason, after reading the article on Dr. Saturday, I went to the bookmark for Hercules and the Umpire and discovered that Judge Kopf is once again writing, but not on his blog as he has forever ended, rather he us writing for mimesislaw and last week enjoyed his pipe at a Law Conference in Rogers, Arkansas, little did he know that he wasn't the only boy from Toledo to be in Rogers, Arkansas that week. My middle brother lives there now. But, it is amazing, if not amusing how small the world has become and how so many things bring people together today. It is to be hoped that Judge Kopf will  get to hear this case about Nebraska Football Red Balloons being "carried away by the wind and forces of nature" and how the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is being well managed by a pair of Ospreys in Maryland and should not include balloons from Nebraska at all.

And Judge, to wit: Volenti non fit injuria,  Latin: "to a willing person, injury is not done". Thanks, I'm glad I can read you writings again!! We are peers, Judge.

A latex balloon that run out of helium

Mylar that trees catch all the time

Another latex balloon low on helium.All these were found on the same day. At least Nebraska Football only releases once every home game!!

All British and European Car Day at White Rock

The last one of these at Dreyfus Club was good. This was was even bigger and better. Even though the 0.3 mile plus walk from my car to the show was more than anticipated, it only took twenty minutes from car to event. The parade of cars still coming in was worth the walk, too. Cars were parked on the grass this year, as well as on the paved areas, both up on the hill and down around the wall.  Cool was the show as well as the breeze coming in from the North East. It was a fun afternoon.

It would really be nice to see arts and craft events in a venue like this. The arts and crafts events move North during the course of late spring,during the summer and over the early fall period. Most are held in this type venue. Some are street fairs like May Fest just ended in Ft. Worth or Deep Ellum Festival already passed for this year. Both are street fairs here, but they are so much more in a venue like Dreyfus Club. The biggest surprise was to see the increase in bike traffic at the event this year.

Cars for Everyone.

In England, the trunk is called a boot. Here there is a trunk ON the boot.

This was just beyond the stone table area.