It Was Eighty Degrees Today!!

We missed a record by two-degrees today. The sun was out. It was bright. Warm. Spring-Like and I saw the first red-bud tree up the street from me in full bloom. When that happens, it's time to make a cemetery run. A local cemetery has a very large section of flowering trees  that line a road that are just out of this world. So, before coming in today, I made a cemetery run. The trees have just started getting buds on the branches. With the cold weather coming in the next few days, it will slow down the process some, but they are hardy trees and the cold doesn't usually bother them once they start budding. With that fact under my hat, I'll not be going back for about a week to ten days. The low clouds return overnight and will be 'hanging around' into next week Sorry for the poor pun, but there was a piece on the news tonight about global warming and that Dallas, because we are in such a mixing bowl, is expected to join Phoenix and Louisville (don't get the Louisville connection) as the fastest warming cities in the US.

So here is a bit of images with captions. Enjoy..

This sign has been struck about  six times over as many months. It's down for the count again!!

Blue Sky with a bit of architecture trim.

Fall and Winter Embrace Spring. The landscape companies are already out cutting grass for this season.

Super Bowl LIII Day Gives Off Some Intereting Views

Mockingbird Station's Angelika  Theater  will soon being showing this years Film Fest Films

Signs on the SB Service Road of US75 North Central Expressway. At the light, turn right into SMU campus. Parking for the library is on the right after turning off the service road. This station serves the Blue, Red, Orange Lines. The Green can be made as a transfer at tne first station after the trains come up from the tunnels. The orange line is the line that goes to  DFW Terminal A

A rare site to see a windsurfer on the water at White Rock Lake. The gentlemen on the board is closer in age to me than any of the boaters or kayaks save a hand full. It's great to see the more mature sports men  like this gentleman. Here, he has a great wind and moving rather fast. He's steering toward the boat ramp and take a plunge right at the ramp. Perfect!! Nice man to talk with, also.

The sun came out briefly. At kick-off time, the cloud deck had returned. Listening to the Pre-Game Show, A  couple of pictures from earlier in the day. The temp hit 71 officially at DFW just before 3 P.M. Originally, the men with the magic ball were calling for 80 F. Clouds messed that up for sure.

Talking With Silicon Valley For Over And Hour

Life will always toss you a curve from the blind side. Today, I spent more than an hour with an office in Silicon Valley because  they bought one of my independent agencies that has done very well selling my images. The merger is winding up in the next few days and I had not been able to sync my account with the new one. By the time I got off the phone, it was pretty late for me to even leave the house. But, sunshine popped out and the forecast calls for clouds and drizzle and clouds and more drizzle and maybe 1/2 - inch hail alone the way.

Yes, folks, the Texas mixing bowl is getting ready to churn up one heck of a springtime in storms, I'm afraid. All that energy in cold air has to go somewhere and the with the Gulf churning up the moisture and all the dynamics that goes with that, if we get out of  this spring without being halfway blown away, it will be by the Grace of God that we will live to see another summer. I remember as a kid, hearing my grandmother tell about the tornado that killed one of my great-aunts in Brownwood, Texas. I've never forgotten that story.   

Now that I think about it, I had slept in this morning, too, so the whole day has been offset by  a couple of hours. Never-the-less, I was out the door by 2:20. The cloud cover was just lifting to where the sun angles were perfect. I have been waiting for some good sun to check a new setting on the camera. Today just happened to be the one. Did I mention that the perfect subject to test it on is birds and flora. Ouch! someone stuck a pin in their voodoo doll! I felt that.

The mid-range of the setting turned out the best. I have a few places where I can use it again. So, all is not lost, I suppose. I'm a great believer in the penny lost, penny found philosophy. The math in the winds of fate hold more credence than we give credit. I guess you begin to see those things when you get (older [ancient]) like me. My own thoughts have proclaimed that I will not age gracefully. I never said that I didn't like old age. Some of you know where I'm going with this, but I'll spare you the drum roll and trumpet fanfares.

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Female Grackle

Seed Pod Art

Vines against a lake water backdrop.

 

Double Birds Rearranged

The morning slipped by rather fast and the coffee pot emptied faster than normal as I edited some images. When I was about to transition from editor to getting my daily dose of sunshine, my phone rang. It was a representative in the field for Oncor, the electric delivery arm for TXU Energy, better known as just TXU. I call them, 'the Edison'. Electric Utilities up north are know as 'the Edison' and I grew up knowing my childhood electric power company as the 'Power and Light'.  Basically, I like 'Edison' better.  She said that she would be here in about 10-minutes to run the meter test and needed the meter closet unlocked.

Oncor changed over the meters to the new digital meters over a year ago and frankly, people have been a bit concerned and do not trust the new meters as much as the old ones. Because of that, Oncor provides a free meter check. I had not used mine because I had not had any issues...until this past month.

Here, the male relanded just below his mate. The nest may be along White Rock Creek in the deep woods. This tree is surrounded by traffic on three sides.

This is the male taking flight but he didin't leave the tree. I ended up just below his mate.

The male is on the left side and the hen is on the right side of the tree just a bit higher.

By the time I got done, I had a late start and the cloud cover was beginning to move in again. I was looking for the Buffelhead ducks that I had seen yesterday. After making an uneventful trip around the lake, I was on the way home and was one intersection away from being out of the park when I spot a hawk sitting as pretty as  you please high up in a large tulip tree. Then, I spotted the mate sitting near her in the same tree. Dang! A double header if  I wanted the general shot. I did. It was a good twenty minutes  of shooting. I sure wished I had my longer lens that I have and can't use because it doesn't fit this camera.

We have a couple of days coming up over the weekend with temps into the 70s. The question is how much cloud cover we are going to have.

Up and At'Em Early Today

An early morning errand had me out the door and on the move before 2 bells this morning. After the errand, I had the full morning to shoot. By eight bells, I had already stopped at two grocery stores and was minutes from being home. The cold front was slipping into the Metroplex and it will be a hard freeze tomorrow morning plus it will be about 10-12 degrees cooler for the day high, but by the weekend, its forecast to hit 70F.

I've seen the minus 17 degree cold before and hopefully, never again. The Great Lakes haven't been frozen like this in years!! It takes cold to do that. The tap water is ice cold from the lakes and really taste good. I miss Great Lakes Water. We will not get that much of the Arctic push into North Texas. But, being inside and out of the wind as the temperature drops has a great benefit---called warmth!!

My final run before heading to the store, I made the circle of the lake. Much to my surprise as I'm sitting at on the of parking lots looking across the lake, I see Bufflehead ducks. They are here in migration from the boreal forest and aspen park lands of central Canada. They are small, feisty, disappear into the water much like the cormorants and American Coots. The big difference is the colorful displays of feathers.  It was simply being in the right place at the right time.

The male has colors like a wood duck but not identical.

Will be going back to look for them specifically. I want some better shots. These runs for the blog help keep breaches of copyrights down to a minimum, but they also turn up finds that  help to produce income later on.

Spring In Popping Out all Over

While out today shooting Capital Improvement Projects, I ran across a bit of hope. Now, true, this is on the cusp of an Arctic cold front due to hit tomorrow, but that doesn't matter.  Nature has the upper hand. Believe that! These shoots are hardy and will stout.

It was a bit of a surprise to see it at the end of January, but  I'll take it!

Here is a bit of supporting proof. (click on the image to open a larger view)

Fair Park Is Really Changing!

With the new management to open up Fair Park during the days beyond and up to the State Fair run of three weeks, the changes were very obvious and people were all over the 177 acres of  grounds. It was a much more friendly atmosphere and from what I saw today, the changes will only make Fair Park a true park and second jewel for Dallas as it should be.

With Fair Park getting much needed work, crews were also doing that, too! The place  just looked alive more than I can ever remember. That pretty much sums it up like this: " With the State Fair not running, the place was more alive than ever!" No mid-way, no concessions, but people were just totally enjoying their day. After yesterdays punishing walks,  I though it might just be my imagination that was giving me a false reading, but no, even I enjoyed the afternoon.

The Art Decco paradise still just blows me away to see so much in one location. If people don't realize what a prize this is for Dallas, then they need to get out an explore the wealth of this place. Usually, I make a trip down there about once ever four months with my last one being  the installation of Big Tex prior to opening day for the fair.

Fountains outside Hall of State Building. These are not the amazing programed music water and light show with surround sound directly in front and across the plaza from the Hall of State Entrance.

Originally opened as Star Plex and since has undergone several sponcorships. The groups, performers, bands, and music is still the good stuff. It's an outdoor lawn venue with sound stage.

The art decco collection of buildings is getting a boost from the city to the tune of $50 million. Cracks, paint, repairs  will be a well deserved fix.