Explored the nature trails at the Bush Presidential Center

 On purpose, the delay to explore these grounds and trails in a park-like setting was delayed until it had time to mature from construction and plantings. Several of the living presidents were there at the dedication. I was shooting the fringes of the action. There is always more going on in the fringes than at the focal point of the event. 

From home, I took the bus to the train station. After a short wait for the train, (Sunday schedules are farther apart) taking it to the SMU/Mockingbird Station as it is now know, was a quick trip. To bring a closer association to SMU, the station was renamed. The center is directly across North Central Expressway at Mockingbird Lane. On the west side of the expressway, it's University Park. It was also my longest walk to date. The weather was delightful and that made the outing even better. 

The trails and the flowers (mostly wild flower variety) are what I like to shoot anyway. But, the change from fall to spring is yet to be experienced, so I will be coming back in the spring to see that change and what it has to offer.

The Geo.Bush Presidential Center

                                                                    The Trails look like this

                                       Some of the foliage has begun to show signs of turning

Early Fall Confirmed

 Well, if you follow natures signs like I do, one of the first signs of an early fall is the flipping of leaves on the trees (see previous post on leaf flipping). That has already occurred this year. The next sign is the occasional leaf found on the ground in various spots as the sap begins to recede in trees. That has already occurred this year. The next phase is the turning of the leaves themselves into yellows then to golds or reds and then into that textured look of leather or tanned hide colored. Some trees are now showing that and have even begun to drop.Usually that stage is for the softer woods like ash etc.,etc.The hardwoods will follow those in time. 

While at one of the train stations last week, I noted that the leaves in one of the trees on the platform had begun to turn yellow and had even dropped a fair amount to note. Having said that, it got me to watching more closely as the train went through the areas that are not so much commercial as the trees on the platforms. Sure enough, spotting that ever noticeable color of yellow. The tops of many trees were popping up as we moved alone the trains route. As a side bar, when I came in from my outing, I noticed the change more closely with the trees on my porch. One is nearly 12 feet high and it is showing signs already,too. 

Growing up in the South, I recall my walks in the woods behind our house on the hill. Leaves almost never seemed to be on the ground until mid November. Here in Texas, being farther south still, it is more like Thanksgiving to the end of November.. So, by the signs seen thus far, we are running nearly 6-7 weeks early this year in the transition into fall. Colors move from North to South at about 20 miles per day for peak colors.

Going back through my files, for the past three years, images back up the assumption from visual signs noted already. As, 2017 was a very early fall by past year standards, that too, is noted in images. 

So, as the annual change in the jet stream drops farther south, true and stronger 'cold' fronts begin to arrive every three or four days. Temps fall back on my porch thermometer from 80s overnight to 60s and now into the low to mid 50s. It's getting to be my favorite time of the year. I can sit out on my porch and drink my morning couple of cups of coffee. There is that feel of briskness in the air again. We know fall is here. As is said in midtown Manhattan: "You'll have that from time to time,yes, you will." We just say in Texas: "Hallelujah!!"

 

October 4-6-2019

October 6-8-2018

November 18,2017

 

The Old Wagon Wheel Shoot Route Has Been Solved

A bus. A train. A bus. A train. A bus. Home! Two of the spokes of the old wagon wheel that I used to shoot, well at least 1/6 of the shoot wheel, have now been visually verified that they can be done as before. In fact, I was on both sides and one end of White Rock Lake today. This will help solve some of my shooting schedule. And, I also got to see some of the old haunts from before my accident.

It does seem that the old adage that I have heard most of my life that, "when the Lord closes one door, He opens another." I'm just glad to be able to get out, see life in motion and do more walking. The weight is dropping, my appetite is in check, and I'm eating more healthy than ever before, I was eating health before, but not as healthy as I am now. I'm balking at companies that add additional sugar to their products, but that is another story for another day.

Also, I have been sorting folders and using them more efficiently with my pictures. Both, for my customers and for my own work flow.Waiting for the next health tornado is in the shadows, but it is shrinking farther and farther into the background.With exactly 90-days left in 2020, how the election goes will not cause me to loose any sleep. And speaking about sleep, I'm getting 11 to 12 hours of sleep most every night. That's for sure, the result of the change in diet again. Those hospital stays from last November until the end of May with two short periods at home in between stays did get me to thinking.When ask, and the nurses ask daily what my goals were, it was for me, the same thing. I wanted to get back out into nature and behind my camera as soon as I was able to do so. It was a long time in coming and still has a little hurdle to jump, but with that behind me later this month, I am pretty sure I can say, World, I'm home!

Today was an exploration trip mostly, yet, it produced some interesting results.  It was a good day.

,

                                           The one pedal ids the run for Alzheimer's disease.

Looking at my file folders of images, I can now see clearly the gaping holes in shooting that were created by my illness. Just in the past two weeks, I am back to shooting at least something every day. My last surgery that was scheduled for last March has now been rescheduled for this month. Hopefully, I'll be able to sit down and work out a shooting schedule. The one thing in my favor is also the National Weather Services declaration of a La Niña setting in, that means a warmer and drier winter than normal. So, the nature prospects are looking good to be outside, and not having to worry about some cold winter. It will get cold even if the set up is as planned, but just not as bad as living in the Great Lakes 39 years The worse being a winter of 17 below O°F. So, we shall see what we shall see as time shifts into winter mode. But I am thinking that what ever it is, mentally and somewhat physical strength being what it is, Yes, indeed, even with a bus and a train regardless of how many transfers, being home feels pretty darn good.  

Walked Another Long Alley and Across A Wide College Campus

Listening to Verdi's Messa Da Requiem with Riccardo Muti at the podium of the Chicago Symphony and the Symphony Chorus. This is one of my most favorites. Having a serving of Trail Mix and drinking a big glass of Iced Tea. What an end to a wonderful day. I know some will wonder about that combo of Trail Mix and a Requiem, but it works for me.

A State of Texas Shaped Weather Vain on top of a coupla. First one I've seen in the shape of a state.

The glass like lake was because of a wind shift in preparation for the cold front coming in tonight. 

Walked an Alley For Two Blocks

 then, I caught the bus to the LBJ Station and took the train to Downtown Garland. It was a delightful day to be out. My strength levels are holding. I feel really well. It was nice to be out with my camera-in-hand and it proved to be fruitful. Today, I shot more images than I have shot in the past 6 months. When I shot 29,000 images annually, it was easy to be happy. But, knowing that every shot counted more than ever, today produced a 51% of images worthy to meet the agencies approval standards. So, it was a good day in more ways than just photography. It was reward time and I had the best piece of carrot cake with coffee at downtown Garland 's Main Street Cafe. After seeing the days results, the ice cream and 3 prime strawberries filled up my reward bowl and now, its watching the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Dallas Stars are playing the Tampa Bay Lightening. I've been a big hockey game fan since high school. 

Tomorrow is forecast to be as good as today with lower dew points---that's cool dry air--- and the comfort level will be ideal to go to the Dallas Arboretum for the fall pumpkin displays.So, I got to do some planning and get everything set so the shoot goes as well if not better than today. Time will tell. Meanwhile, back at the barn, pacing my self will still be key. 

For me, seeing a sign today was reward enough in that several years ago, the Park Managers throughout the Metroplex all agreed that the parks should return to the native prairie grasses of days gone by. Dallas tried it first and it was a huge success. Now, in Garland, there were signs surrounding the Library in the landscape. Landscape architects were seen as added help to get the program going and it was also a way to raise interest for the project. Well, it's working and not only is the landscape changing for the better. The Buffalo Grass was used in Garland and its going to be so awesome to see it in a couple of years. That's another thing that I like about photography. It enables you to see things like that when others walk on by without a reference to it at all. 

Some have already noticed that I pulled the header picture.To much copyright infringements taking place at that size.

Fans in the Stands; Bands in the Stands

 There is no debate that I am and always have been, a college football supporter more than I am being a Pro fan. There are a couple of reasons for that. I grew up when high school football games were a Friday night event. And, I do mean an event. You didn't miss a Friday night football game like you didn't miss going to church on Sundays. Those two days were a no-brainer. 

Today, looking back at those days, I can recall my band days when we marched onto the field right  then up to our seats in the bleachers. We played a few sets and then the game started. My shock was,"Oh, I have to watch the football game?" It had always been the band that I was interested in, not football. But, from that moment on, I was a true football fan. In college, I never missed a Bobcat game, especially when all my friends were there at the game and it was  truly a college experience that I will never forget. After the game, instead of going to the hometown's drive-in restaurant to hang out, as a college student, it was uptown to the main green, to the bars, and later to one of the fast food  restaurants before tackling the hill's down slope to the East Green where I lived. 

When I came back to Texas to get ready to retire, those Friday night lights flooded my memories of younger days. And, frankly, it was something that I am glad to have experienced and not missed. So. today, with the COVID pandemic wrecking most of the year for civilized man around the globe, it just goes to show you that fans in the stands mean so much to our sports figures, albeit high school, college or pro. But as stated earlier, I am a big college fan. I have always been a big Michigan fan and my oldest son was Ohio State. He unexpectedly died just 100 days after his graduation. A couple of years later, OSU had a renovation of Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The quality built folding chairs that had been in the old stadium were sold off by the university as were pieces of the goal post that saw Michigan footballs pass between those uprights many, many times. So, I purchased both a chair and was lucky enough to get a section of the goal post. 

The chair still has a piece of bubblegum stuck to the underside of the wood-slated seat of the heavy metal steel folding chairs that also saw many,many grads who had sat on them in the field to hear there commencement speaker tell them to "go out into the world". It has the sticker that was signed by AD Andy Geiger, to certify it was the 'real deal'. 

When I look over an see that chair or the goal post section on its block of wood, I think of my son and of my days going to college games. But, the most memorable game that I have ever seen was from my seat in the "big house of Ann Arbor." Michigan stomped Wisconsin 63-0. The roar in the stands at the big house was something to behold. 112,000 people. Mostly Michigan fans. It was something I will never forget. No high school game or college game can equal that noise that day. I often wonder if any one had a decimal reading on the sound generated from that game. 

When you hear the sports casters and the players talk about how silent it is today at games from baseball to hockey to basketball, football, soccer, cricket matches and tennis, you better believe it makes a difference. That's as much a part of the sport as anything anything else.

Sorry dude. Now you know why I took your picture.

You were a terrific sport.

I happen to be wearing a red T-shirt with the Ohio State Buckeyes 

January 8, 2007 

National Championship, BCS Arizona.

Hey! at least its all Big10, dude.

The Duchess of Sussex Reads Novels by Anaïs Nin

 and I love her quotes. She was Gore Vidal's partner at one time. She lived 1903- 1977. Her novels came from  8 of her diary books. She is: Anaïs Nin. Born in France. Her mother was a singer and her father a composer. Hence, the lyrical and musical life she knew.in quote 11.

Following are some quotes by  Anaïs Nin, that I have been reading over the years. 

1. "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom."

2."Each friend represent a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

3. "Dreams are necessary to life."

4. "Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it .

6. "Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles  me, I escape, one way or another."  NB---The full quote from which this one is take is listed below as # 11 in its entirety.

7. " Good things happen to those who hustle."

8. " Living never wore one out so much as the effort not to live."

9 ."We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially, we are relative, we are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present and future mingle and pull us backwards,forwards, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations."

10. "The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery."  NB---Albert Einstein said that, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious."

11. " I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger than reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls."   NB--- Quote # 6 is only a part of this quote. This being, the full quote from which some have taken #6 as a short cut. 

It seems to me that we don't have as many today that make quotes that live on into the ages. And, if there is, they don't send shock waves that our past writes have coined. To me, that is sad. We are so caught up in social media. And it is shocking to some that find out that the social media is robbing us of our private identities in such volume it is not even possible to visualize that amount. It reminds me of the DOT supervisor that I talked with during the new construction of the sub-terrain lanes of the LBJ from the High 5 to the I-35E. He said," if the people of Dallas knew what we were doing high tech wise, it would blow their minds, but you see, we are doing it while their hopes are in the fact that we get the highway construction of the LBJ done on time or even early. Don't you see, they don't even know that this high tech stuff is going in and won't draw any attention.  They are asleep at the wheel. By the time they finally wake up, even if they ever do, it will be to late, then."

There is always more mystery