The Monk Parrot In the Header Picture

 Yes, it is a parrot. There are many stories floating abound including one I started just to see how many times it would come back to me. Surprisingly, I stopped counting at 42 times. 

They are an amazing bird. I fell in favor of their breed when I was in Brazil where parrots come in  small to extra large. Parrots in Brazil seemed to me to be like our English sparrow only much more colorful and more grace as they are larger in size. They were everywhere. It was mind-adjusting to see the parks loaded with them.  So, after seeing them spread here in the Dallas area,  it got me more interesting in the "real" story about the amazing little bird that builds 400-pound nest condos where as many as 20-mated pairs live, usually on top of cell towers or power line rigs. If you have ever seen there nest, it is a quirk in nature that such a small bird can out do even an eagle. But, they are native to South America. Not blown in by a Hurricane or migrated here for better food lots. Which was the initial concern to the Department of Agriculture. As it turned out, they have no interest in crops. Rather, surprisingly, the threat of them took the utility companies by surprise. They like the coating on cables and of course, the massive nest building efforts. One utility worker say they spent the morning cleaning out the nest in a power station only to discover after lunch that the little birds had already started rebuilding. They can cause power outages in some rare situation. Managing the nest seem to be the best solution rather than cleaning out the nest altogether.

 Another interesting fact is that they are an invasive species. Originally, they were introduced into the US as an exotic pet. Personally, the only pace we should be able to see exotic pets is in a zoo, or in pictures taken in their native country. Better yet, spend those miles and fly to the native country for a short trip. They were introduced into the states in the early 60s as a  dime-store pet. And sold as parakeets because of the exotic pet classification. Finally, in 1992 ,importation was banned. However, some individual states tolerate sale and breeding yet today. I can remember the old Woolworth five and dime,  the father of K-Mart sold them in the back corner of the stores with gerbils and fish. All the kids knew were to go in the store. Mom's tried to get them out of there with sometimes having to give in and buy the cage and the bird, or settle for a goldfish or/and the cheaper cage, a glass bowl that would hold about a gallon and a half of water was a good second choice for most. And, yet, they even sold the little boxes of fish food. The had every base covered. 

To finish up the bird story, They have an amazing range of temperatures. So does Brazil. Any way, in the states here, colonies can be found in US states: CA,CT,FL,IL,KT,MA,NJ,NY,OH,RI, TX,WA.  A total, that's 12 of the 50 states. In Dallas, I know of two colonies that are larger than 20 birds. One is, of course, White Rock Lake. The second one is at the Ron Kirk Bridge near Trinity Groves, just west of downtown. 

One thing I notice about the large colonies is that you can hear them in the distance long before you can spot one. They are friendly to some  as they have a life cycle of 20-30 years and get to where they recognize peoples patterns. I did notice last fall before my hospital tenure, that there were several baby birds looking out of the bottom of the nest opening. They can lay and hatch up to twenty eggs in 24 days. The colony count must be much larger today. I have not been able to get the lake to take a photo count WOW and another WOW.  (As seen in the header picture, You might have to enlarge a bit, but when you do you can see the birds head turned with that eye on you and even has his left claws raised as if he is waving). Yes, when I am around them, I do talk to them and they do stop to listen after they got to where they recognize my pattern with the camera or how I never run up on them where they fly off. I have some that do take to the trees but hold the territory and once in a while if the pickings are good in the reed beds, they will even stay attached to the stalks of the reeds, eat and then look up, then go back to eating. Smart little birds to say the least.

Thanks to the Texas State University System and the Texas Invasive Species Institute for help in proving accurate info. I also learned, that they track the drought resistant Buffalo Grass which is invasive and will kill out grass and native species in a heart beat if left uncontrolled. I just saw the Garland Library replant a corner in Buffalo Grass. Now, I'll keep an eye on that.

 

Ref:

Myiopsitta Mpnachus  Monk Parrot

  

Class:Aves

Order:Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

It's Been A Super Busy Week because

 I've had gremlins  running through my cables the past three weeks. It took a lot of work but one was caught and the mess was put back together. Then, while I was resting after that ordeal, there was another trigger that pointed to yet another one. I tell you, those little gremlins can run at light speed. But, dang it, caught another one and in only three days. I have that second mess put back together. The surprisingly little gremlin war even allowed me to get my backup order for groceries ordered in before Christmas, since the last order day is tomorrow up to mid afternoon. 

As if that wasn't enough, however, we have had three days in a row of beautiful clear blue skies and mid 70°F. I headed to the bus stop, grabbed the Red Line South and got off at the next stop. I had been wanting to check out this one spot at the end of the off ramp from LBJ 635-E at TI Blvd. It's a T-type stop and if you race to catch the light you can't stop. The cement barrier walls with the bright yellow paint and  arrowheads at each end of the black bar, will. Reading the signs you know to turn left or turn right, but don't go straight. To date, Tex Dot has replaced the barrier no less than 10 times since the ramp opened.Yep, there is already patched concrete and new bolts in place. Ready for the next car that wants to butt heads with the barrier wall again. The guardrails looked like twisted spaghetti after the first two or three times, hence the cement barriers like those in the medians separating lanes etc.,etc. 

From there, I could not decide to walk to the next station south like I have been doing, or walk home and explore the repairs from the F-3 tornado just over a year ago. Much is still not repaired in some spots. The Presbyterian Church that lost its beautiful steeple only has a stub left and that is so sad-looking, architecturally speaking. I just kept walking and looking for shots. Still, there were worthwhile shots.

My walk was just shy of 5 miles again. But it will be another week before that 70ish temps returns. A cold front is moving past tonight. We have dropped from 74 and will bottom out at about 30ish tonight. It was delightful out, but the wind was the problem. 30-40 MPH. I can tolerate a little cold. I can tolerate  a bit of wind, but put the cold and the wind together and I'm done.

The Silver Line that will run the new European electric diesels across the old Cotton Belt tracks from Shiloh Road in Garland to Ft. Worth. broke ground this week with the first  piling in the ground complete. And with Elon Musk now a Texas resident officially, the Bullet Train from Houston to Dallas should have an interesting person watching from his drilling company. It is testing its own.  Looking to lay track in his tube devise.

It is getting exciting finally as more and more trains are coming on line to the present three and soon to be four trains that are covering 5 counties in North Central Texas---the place to be.  Not that weird place that wants to stay weird south of us. They have West by Southwest once a year. We have Deep Ellum every night of the year for nearly 100 years to the tunes of Blind Lemon and others including the Greatful Dead that recorded one of his songs that makes reference to Dallas and Deep Ellum. Not to mention up start bands and the jazz scene, too.

We also got a look at the helicopter taxis that was to have been Uber's magic hat trick, but they have recently sold the company  that was to run the show to  another company that almost immediately showed off the animated design. It's a typical helicopter with little stubbed wings and a  lot of cool stuff.  I'd ride one. It's hard to know what a ride would cost at the moment,but I'm thinking that it would be something close to a ride in the City (New York City). We might be able to put a pair of silver spurs on those in the executive suites and get the price down somewhat. You never know. Know what I mean Vern? Oh, you know what I mean. Vern, knows what I mean. This is Texas after all Y'all. 

And to close out the exciting future with more exciting future news, Texas is getting a space academy to train pilots that will take commercial paying passengers into space. It's on a 14-acre site south of here--- and that weird place.

I'm so excited I'm getting out one of my first digital cameras and looking at the lenses.I'm thinking that I'll  trade those lens in and up grade my newer digital camera body. Gee, if I can continue to walk 5 and keep loosing weight and feeling even more young than I feel, then I can keep up to those old reporters I once hung out with don't you see?  

So many exciting things going on, I almost forgot to mention that Oracle is coming to Texas with their headquarters.Texas, sorry they picked that weird place, but they will soon learn that 35E will get them here in about a 4 hour drive. If the bullet train gets finished in two years, they can be here in about 45 minutes. 

This sign picture that follows is just a few yards from TI's (Texas Instrument) south campus. The north campus is behind the photographer going the other way. The train station is just a few yards going toward the north campus. That is a bit more than 3/4 mile of plant. And the station where I got off is adjacent to TI property in every direction. The buses serve both plants as shuttles.

Well, I just hope every one has (or can make) the best of this Christmas season. The first one million have been vaccinated already in the first week.   

 

 

I Ask You. Does It Really Matter?

 I heard one of the most absurd surveys I have ever heard today. For that--- you get to see some unusual and wonderful Christmas decor. It was a reminder that we are coming up quickly on the Christmas Hour and I didn't have one image as a header on our blog. 

Now, the absurd survey was about candy canes. What way to you eat them? Hence the title because for me, and others I'm sure, how you eat your sweets is a personal choice and if it is some like the old social queen---alright, I'll say it out loud---Post, Emily.  She published more books because she found some one that is an "expert". Today there are experts on all the news shows that haul their items into a news studio and get their 5 minute spot before the cameras. It's a good thing that I have become an old man because I can get up or just sit in my desk chair and flip the remote to OFF. Which I do more of these days. 

As for Emily, she even was the founder of the Emily Post Institute. Imagine that. Beginning with 1. I bet she could make mince meat out of  how to do that  candy can routine.  I won't leave you hanging on this one. There are four ways to eat one. 1. The top, where the hook is. 2.Start at the bottom and eat upwards. 3. crush the cane and eat it like a broken cracker. 4. Break the straight shaft in half and eat one now and one later, Or my way # 5, you can go to u-tube and let them make a fortune on your answers or you can just do your thing on the U and even issue a challenge to some sucker (pardon the pun). Personally I'm gonna eat mine any way I darn please. 

Now, the much bigger question is: how are you gonna eat that bicycle wheel? 

City Line One Two Three

 

The New Regional Office Complex with up to 10,000 employees for State Farm Insurance on the line between Richardson and Plano. The complex is surrounded with trails. While the DART light rail has a station there, The new DART Silver Line is underway not far up the tracks.It will use all electric diesel locomotives and will use the old Cotton Belt Line to go into DFW across the northern part of North Dallas. I sure wish this was summer. but it will come soon enough. 

I  walked the trail between the CityLine/Pres.George Bush Turnpike south to the rail station at Galatyn Park Station where I re boarded the Red Line coming back into the City. The trails are nice but unmarked. It was during the last part of the walk with my camera that I began to see trail marking locations. Richardson is on the ball. They marked the old trail, which was expected for Richardson and they didn't let that section of the train down for hikers and walkers.

An Apology to our readers,especially.

Hi, folks! I had a derailment over a week ago with some hacker(s) who not only took down my site backroom operation (planning and image selection) which doesn't upset me that much. I can rebuild from my backups and such things, but my one agent that was attached to one of my accounts was not only upset, but now has activated a complete security sweep. I do apology for some idiots actions. I also have involved AT&T's hacker(s) people.  So with that, while it might be a little inconvenient for me, I can be assured that they will eliminate the problem in steps over time. It is sad that someone is so self-centered that they resort to things like that. It can be an ego thing or an addiction, I know. So, I don't get mad or upset once I get the problem related to the right people at large. That has been done as of this past week. Envy, jealously are like drugs or alcohol. I find it interesting that hackers use a gift and knowledge in such an unproductive way. 

Tomorrow, in Dallas, we will be in the mid 70s (74°F tomorrow and 78°F on Thursday). I plan to be out shooting. Not only to maintain my shooting log but for the health of it all. I have lost 48  pounds since further changing my diet and walking 5- miles a day. True, it's the holiday season, but the media buyers are already on their spring calendars. I try to shoot all four seasons when I am out on the current cycle that buyers follow. Like yesterday, I walked to the mail box and used a lighter weight camera that I could fit into a hood jacket pocket. I got two excellent shots that are for next fall, but I see tonight, that one of my editors has already begun the process of publishing the images.  They will preview now, but they won't be purchased until late spring and summer. Unless the buyer is filling their monthly subscription plans. So,  don't you see, photographers have favorite buyers, favorite buyers that buy from favorite agents as well. When I see things out of place season-wise, that are not in one of my portfolio's I will shoot it and move the file to a file folder that I can go through later to better serve my buyers that follow me. I'm always looking for something new that fit in what theme my buyers have purchased from me before. I do it for those buyers. In short, I do try to take care of their photo needs to keep them in the forefront of new material of the same themes that they like to follow.

So, again, let me extend my apology to each of you that follow our little piece of the world here for not being there when you were browsing here to see if we had posted. Especially, after all the time off with the 5 surgeries from last Thanksgiving up to 10-15-this year. We love our readers and those that come back even. I happen to have a stock (after all, that is what we do---stock photos) image just for you. 

Enjoy the holidays and as we move into 2021 in just a few short weeks ahead, the process of getting the COVID-19 vaccine is underway in the UK and will start here in a less than a week. We do thank the people at American Airlines for helping deliver the vaccines the world over. And, hopefully, this time next year, we will all be back to normal (what ever that was for you) .

 

 

 

 

Corn and Cob Have a Presidential Pardon, however

- - -  many of the rest of the flock were roasted at 325° until done. Of course, I'm talking about a few

                           Wild Turkey along the Trinity River Basin near the Medical District

turkeys---animals. It happens every year. We humans have a name for it---well, at least for Corn and Cob. They are now officially: Rescued Turkeys. I find no small bit of humor in that. There are 200,000 pets who are referred to as rescue animals but the fact of the matter is that many will not ever find "their forever home or family" or be pardoned like Corn and Cob. The pandemic has kept 13% of the one million plus animals in shelters from being rescued this year. Rescues finding new homes are down that much.

Meanwhile, Corn and Cob will live out their days at a university farm in Iowa. At least, they will get a lot of corn kernels and might even get lucky to have some wheat grain from time to time. In short, they both have a lot to be thankful for this year. More than their fellow turkeys or their canine friends who hunt their fellow cousins,the free and wild turkeys that roam the edge of forest and corn fields. Their feline friends waiting to be rescued don't have as much of a complicated past. But, they need to be rescued also. 

The point is, even we humans are just a part of the food chain. I have always believed that each cell, be it human, animal, fowl and more, is just a  smaller part of a bigger picture we cannot comprehend overall. Our minds are not ready for that now, if ever.  

This is the first year that I have not cooked a full turkey in 20-years. Still, I had a full traditional meal downsized to be grateful and to he thankful. For several years I was always missing something from times past and just could not put my finger on what it was. Then, through a mix up in a grocery delivery restored by original choice, that item, as well as those cut short because of a system failure, was delivered the following day after marking more than half my order the day before as "out of stock".  

Nearly a month ago, I had ordered in a 3-pound frozen turkey breast, green beans, potatoes to be cooked and smashed to perfection later on in the month, cranberry sauce, and a few other items. So, I had anticipated something like a malfunction happening along the way. The small fill in order was for a fresh pumpkin pie and another item that turned out to be that item I had been missing for years and couldn't account for the longing to have that missing mystery item.

On Thanksgiving morning when I started to pull together the kitchen order of the day, the mystery item revealed itself to me. Instantly, I was smiles from ear to ear and as my dear cat had heard me say from year to year before her passing several years ago and when I would talk to here over such happenings, " There it is!"  That

smell of yeast rising throughout the house once again. Mystery item identified by smell.

Since coming home from the hospital, I have cut out bread altogether but I had already decided that on Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, I would have home baked yeast rolls to go with my meal. My grandmother could do wonders with yeast and rolls when I was growing up. I had long decided that she was responsible for my love of smelling that grand smell. As it radiated throughout my house,she had once again pointed me to what being thankful for is more than just a meal. It made my meal complete however. I still cook from scratch so planning meals is not a task for me. 💝 Christmas is coming and that smell of rising yeast rolls will again fill my house.💝 Merry Christmas Corn and Cob. You have escaped another table as centerpiece. Thank goodness!

Lookout! Arthur Gordon Is Off The Shelf Again.

That's right. I took Arthur Gordon off the shelf again. It does seem that his writings have been thoughts to ponder. Both, in the past and in this period of uncertainty. We are now finding ourselves more confused that ever before. While my faith usually lights my path, sometimes, I'm looking for the more simple translations that theologians develop over time. Arthur Gordon has done that. Out side of the bible, Arthur's little book that came to me from a true friend many, many years ago. Alright, more specific, I've been marking the margins and ear cropping pages for 30 years in this copy. The original was copyrighted in 1974 and it has been picked up prior, though not from my own bookshelf. It's strange how things like that work out...you find something and like it and then through the movement of time, you are delivered to the point of re-discovering through the kindness of a friend. But, this time, you are not going to let it escape from your grasp. Hence, The on- and- off of the book shelf, this work continues after another third of a life time. 

Recently, during a discovery mission, I came across another maker of quotes. I like her style much like I like Arthur Gordon. The thing about these two is that one would seem to think that the both of them knew each other and wrote for each other. Now, I'm pretty sure that isn't the case, but the point here is that they run in parallel in some ways that seem to fit like a jigsaw puzzle. That second author is the former long time partner of Gore Vidal, Anaïs Nin. In fact, I just made a post about the Duchess of Sussex  that also reads Anaïs like me. Although, I have probably read Miss Nin for many more years than the Duchess. 

Chapter 6, "The" Gift of Awareness" is the source of much of this theme. Chapter 2, "The Gift of Shared Wisdom" is more dominant of the two chapters. In the chapter, there are four rare encounters Arthur writes about. But, don't miss the keystone of the chapter in the opening introduction page. Arthur wrote that, "In those rare encounters a spark would jump from another person to me." He continued, "Actually, I don't think the setting made any difference. The spark jumped, or it didn't. When it did, it left me changed".

Still in Chapter 6, is one of my most favorite quote, but I was ask by a great University in Israel  to take down the quote because it violated the Intellectual Property Rights of Albert Einstein. Image that. But, never being one to knowingly do that, as my images are also intellectual property, I took the quote down out of respect than any other reason.  But, I can and will continue to site Arthur Gordon's words and book because it is something that needs to spread, especially in a world  that we live in today. If I had a reverse action to Arthur Gordon using one of my images here and there, heck, I'd go shoot a book cover for him no questions ask. If it helps sell a few books for him along the way, I'm a team player here for sure. But, it is in this chapter, number six, that Arthur entitled, "The Deadly Art of Nonliving" that is today's lesson of wisdom.

Arthur Gordon starts out by saying, " Eccentricity has virtually vanished from the American scene." He continues by saying that ," Part of the blame, without much doubt, can be laid squarely on the doorstep of overprotective parents. In hundreds of thousands of homes, I'm convinced, well-meaning fathers and mothers blunt their children's eagerness and sense of adventure with endless barrage of don'ts "  And Arthur Gordon has hit that nail on the head once again. 

As he sums up,"Our ancestors were mercifully free from these merchants of doom.Nobody warned our grandparents that they had better watch every drink because one out of fifteen social drinkers becomes an alcoholic." Gordon goes on with other comparisons that help drive that nail right on the head in truth more than we know some three generations later that find our kids being hoovered over by parents who are afraid that their little snow flake is going to get the Corona by going to school but don't fear that a train load of mental health worries is more real by keeping the kids in home study. I know. There are always those that are going to miss the point outright but it took us three generations to get to this point and its going to take us four more generations to get out of it even if we start right now. Sad. Oh, so sad. 

But, in concluding, Arthur hits the nail squarely on the head once again. " How can I rouse my people make them yearn for something more than pleasant,socially acceptable ways of escaping from life? How can I make them want to thrust forward into the unknown, into the world of testing and trusting their own spirit? Oh, how I wish I knew!, There's only one answer, really. Each of us must be willing, at least sometimes, to chop wood instead of sitting by the fire."

 No, I haven't forgotten about Anaïs Nin. (long-time partner of Gore Vidal.)

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

#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.

You can see the source for Arthur Gordon's book on our web page under the tab marked Writings

Gordon, Arthur.

     A  touch of wonder

1.Meditations.    1. Title

BV4832.2     242    74-23794 

ISBN 8007-5172-8 (pbk)

Copyright                       1974 by Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey