This is you wave back in case you miss the original.

Some people are just plain nice people. For that, I thank this aviator with a belated thank you in our cover-header image today.

Many things going on around the Metroplex of late. The latest was Stephen Millard, the founder of the Deep Ellum Arts Festival for the past 28 years is calling it quits. 

The  talk has resumed on the planned watershed between the levees from downtown to the Great Trinity Forest. We have been down that road already several years ago but it is beginning to sound like its finally going to get done. A filter wetland will be the first in the nation. It will filter rainwater before it is returned to the Trinity River. 

Fair opens for the annual run the last week of the month on the 30th and run into mid October, ending on October 23rd.  Basically, it's a three week run for fun. 

The weather pattern is finally shifting and it can't shift fast enough after a long and hot summer that came early and has stayed to long. 

I have begun the search for a new domain host for the webpage and the daily blog. The problems with the current one has gotten worse the past three years. It's time to find something better. 

 Went to a doctor's appointment yesterday that had been previously cancelled the day before I was due to go because the doc was in surgery. Yesterday was the make up and lasted longer than I had anticipated. Then when I got on the bus the route had been changed. I got off  at the old Valley View Mall in north Dallas and had to walk nearly two miles to the cross transfer. I finally made it home by past 5.  I was so tired that I went to bed at 8 pm and slept to 9:30 this morning. It felt pretty good to be able to sleep in, too.

Now, the object will be focused  on  watching the  Queen's funeral and the up coming King's Coronation. When Queen Elizabeth was  having her coronation, I was a just a lad and remember sitting on the living room floor in front of a black and white television in awe at the pomp but so interested with England at the time. That was, as we now know 70 years ago. So I almost feel obligated to watch the funeral.  Obligated because I have always respected her from afar. She was a class act in all that she did. There is  a chef here in Dallas that served for 15 years in  Buckingham Palace cooking for Her Majesty the Queen.   He said, today in an interview, "... she was the most gracious ever". 

God save the King.

 

On the way in today, I stopped at Louisiana Chicken to pick up dinner.

There were two young ladies waiting for their order, also. I passed out a couple of business

cards. Later, a young lady ask about the photography. She said that she would like an image made.While normally I do not do that without a signed release, I said that I would take a couple of shots and post it on my web site. If she liked them, then we would need a release signed. So, young lady. You are free to use these on your social media page this one time. It is therefore, a restricted license for use since there was not a signed model release. That means you can use them for private use only. You were such a good sport I hope you will enjoy them in good taste. There are raw images and should not be blown up without retouching above 100%. Enjoy.

In my regular days adventure to fine new textures, I found a couple that I might be able to work with on Zazzle later. 

Late Out The Door, Two Drivers on Different Buses DIdn't Show----

 misinformation on Transit Centers being opened on the weekends, but I had one driver that is absolutely the most safe driver I have ever ridden with. My driver that gave me misinformation was new, so I can excuse her this time. She sent me to Carpenter Park and the comfort station there on her return trip to the East Transit Station. It was there that I meet three great people taking care of the facility and the security guard. I ask them if I could shoot all three of them and got the thumbs up. When 

Seen from Carpenter Park

Decorations at Urban Taco at Mockingbird Station's Retail Level. My favorite place to eat when I'm out and about for the whole day.

The crew at the comfort station at Carpenter Park. Two thumbs up and a "Sweet" when he said that he would put it on his Facebook page. He has my permission to do that. 

Only that could be topped by my first encounter with a passenger on the DART rail that was standing in the well as the train was taking on passengers. I had come on for the opposite end of the car and moved forward looking for a seat. The guy in the well was talking in a confused way and when I looked up from my seat, he was holding a metal bar with a point on it. He said to me, "did you hear me?" and I replied"No, I didn't, sir." Then I said, "do you want this seat?" He replied, "No, it's okay" and had a rather frightening expression on his face. I got up and moved to the end of that car, passed into the second car and went to the far end. I never saw or hear from the guy again. 

Outside of that---I made it to Mockingbird Station via two buses and two more train rides. I got off at Mockingbird and went down to the retail level to my favorite place to eat---Urban Taco. The crew there are always nice, helpful and the food is amazing!!. I didn't have desert today but I sure would have liked to have had the time to take on that piece of  their wonderful cake again. 

The decorations were really nice. I always ask if I can shoot the decorations in side and then  came the reply, "Certainly" . Today, I had three servers taking care of my table and I got a lot of looks from people wondering what was going on.... I could have replied, "just shooting my usual", pardon the pun! We all got a laugh and my head waiter said to me, "It's good to see you again Mr. [Paparazzo].

New Drought Monitor Shows little lessening after the 10.38 inches of rain

 which set a new record for the most rainfall in a 24-hour period at DFW. The bummer was an added blow because we also went from 67 days without any rain to the wettest record for rain during August. 

Even more odd is that Europe is experiencing the same thing. Old Roman settlements are popping up as the water drops. Lake Powell is revealing bodies all over the place with the drop in one of the two largest reservoirs in the states. Sharks are being found in places not seen before. Nothing is normal any more. It makes one wonder just what is yet to come. On second thought, maybe, I don't want to know in the short term.

Yet, I had two DART employees that were super yesterday. One was driving the 200 and the other was in the Transit Center at Addison. She said,"Don't I know you?" Then she said that she had seen me earlier in another transit center. We got a good laugh together, so even the stressed out ones  still on the job after COVID seem to be returning to an even better attitude, which is a great thing any day. 

The Silver Line's new Addison station construction shown here and in the other direction is the work toward the Knoll Trail Station. The 26-mile commuter line will bridge the north corridor from Garland to DFW to join  Ft.Worth's TEXrail in terminal B. Can't wait!! I've ridden the TEXrail and it is quiet, smooth and comfort plus. The Silver Line will be very much the same. Now. if we can get Arlington hooked up to the TRE or the DART Red Line---even the Bullet Train, I might be able to enjoy a Rangers Game before I start to push up a daisy or two.

Shot More Imags Today Than Total for Last Six Weeks.

 Rode the 22 from downtown Garland to Addison Transit where I checked on the progress of the Silver Line's Addison Station, next door to the Transit Center. Progress has been made. Then, I walked to Addison Circle, checking out the architecture with great clouds as backdrops. Then, I had to go see my favorite guy at the Addison Market. Some think it is an insult to label the small market (7-Eleven style)  a bodega, but just because it's root came from Spanish, Latin and Greek is not really insulting at all. But, here's the thing. my cat, Hotdog, was the prime example of a Bodega Cat. Dawgie, was my joy for 13 years and we had a bond that was unlike any other cat that I had ever had. She was  an  Abyssinian breed This is my Dawgie, Hotdog the e-cat because she sent and received e-mails from my friend, Mo in the UK. But, her look-a-likes can be found in Bodegas across America and gets the tag: Bodega Cat. with long legs, pointed face and ears, short hair gray with black and white streak markings on the face. The Addison Market reminds me of Dawgie and I like the guy who is always there like a New York or Chicago bodega guy.

 

 

Today, he challenged me about taking his picture. As I left, a vendor was stocking the counter near the door and I hear him say, "smile" and my guy looked up! I was standing in the door way with the camera ready!. So funny.  But here's the thing. I blurred the facial image in his interest so his competitors didn't razz him so much. As Arnold always says, "I'll be back!!" 

                                   Addison Station for Silver Line construction work

Looking east from Quorum north of Belt Line toward the Knoll Trail Station
 

Fall Is Coming But Don't Be Looking For Much Color, For All Is Not Lost

 

Talk About How Things Can Change On A Dime...

 With no rain in over 60-odd days or more, and one of the hottest summers in the past 11 years, it's been a drought-ridden summer and my lawn shows it with brown dormant grass and soil pulling away from the foundations enough that I could put a one-by-four flat against my porch wall and the piece of lumber would go down several inches. Knowing this is not a good thing, I have tried to keep pouring a gallon milk carton of water down along side the foundation during the drought. It has helped some. However, you should see my neighbors!!

This morning, while listening to the news and weather, it was obvious, that the much talked about tropical moisture from 4-seperate systems had arrive. North Dallas has recorded 15-inches of rain in the past 24-hours. Think goodness I live on top of a small ridge. The official bucket at DFW airport finally had some water in it's bucket. Like, at this writing, 9.02 inches in the past 24-hour period, the third all-time record rain fall in a 24-hour period and it is still coming down as the slow-moving Low Pressure system continues to move East and out of here. However, rain is still in the forecast for the rest of the week and this thing isn't over just yet.

When the official drought totals come out this week, it is most surely going to reflect that this rainfall has made a solid impact on our drought conditions, but the long-range forecast is already saying that we will continue to keep getting more dry over time. 

If I were 30 years younger, I'd be looking for property in Canada or Alaska. In short---it ain't gonna be getting any cooler here any time soon!

Flooding on major streets looked like rivers and lakes this morning. There were a few shots,  where the cameras of the local media, caught a current rushing by cars on 635 LBJ Expressway. That ads more credence to the fact that there really are express lanes on LBJ, especially if you remembered to bring your kayak with you on the way to work. Having said all this, I'm thankful that I don't drive anymore on a daily basis and I sure enough to have more common sense to "turn around and don't drown" watching high water rescue operations and people trying to walk through the water. One guy did that and had to swim to get out of the deep end. The roof of his car was all that could be seen. But, thankful for the water, I am and continue to be thankful as this crazy summer has begun to make a turn toward fall weather. It will now be a watchful one to see what kind of winter we will have. At least we have a new CEO at E.R.C.O.T. (Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc) the operating arm of the Texas Grid. The new guy comes from AEP Energy-Texas (American Electric Power) a member of the eastern 11-state grid in the US. I have a bit more confidence with an AEP guy at the helm of Texas' grid than the mess we had in most recent winter's past. 

So the old adage that the only way out of a drought is with a flood has now arrived it seems. And the other common old adage that "Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out" seems to be right on target. The problem that I wonder about is what is she going to balance next with fires, earthquakes, blizzard conditions, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, falling space junk or solar eruptions and flares. Maybe, I should be looking for not only land in Canada but also an underground bunker. Then, the unthinkable. our atmosphere escaping into space as other planets have experienced since creation of the universe.

I try not to worry to much. Worry is interest paid twice and avoiding that situation has long been a goal mastered. I don't mind doing work, but I hate to do work twice.