No Question---I'll be going back to the Ft. Worth Stock Yards to the H-3 Ranch

 My Server, StephanieP, was one of the best servers that I have had anywhere, bar none. In fact, the entire experience at the H-3 Ranch was outstanding. The short-notice table was made ready. My television position to watch the Texas v Alabama game was excellent, too. From the front-in contact with the desk to the finish was a perfect experience and the place was packed the entire time that I was there.  Thank you Stephanie, for a get experience at the H-3 Ranch. You were a delight to have as my server. BTY---the peach cobbler was totally sinful in the cast iron pot. I have a large soup bowl that was smaller than that thing you served me. WOW. What a desert a la mode. 

Now, My purpose for going to the stockyards was to watch and shoot images of the daily cattle drive at 11:30 and at 4. So, I was out the door at 7 am to catch a bus to the train station where I would catch the Orange Line train to DFW terminal A. Which I did, albeit on a Saturday Schedule with DART. When I railroaded in to terminal A, the 5-minute walk around to terminal B found the TEXrail waiting for the westward trip to what I had discovered in some trip planning only the night beforehand that saved me having to travel all the way in to the Ft.Worth Central Station station and then catch the 15 bus through downtown and out to the stock yards. The discovery was that I could detrain the TEXrail at the North Side Station and catch either the 12 or the 15 bus into the stockyards. The North Side Station is at Decatur Avenue, Ft.Worth. The 15 bus from the North Side Decatur Station to the Stockyards is less than a 15-minute ride. 

 My last trip to the Stock Yards was 10-years ago via the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. Then, it was the only way to the Stockyards unless you rode the TRE to the Ft. Worth Central or TP station then ride the bus to the Stock Yard or drive to Grapevine and take the Vintage train. Neither the DART light rail to terminal A didn't exist, nor did the TEXrail train. 

That all is about to change again with the Silver Line (like the TEXrail in style and comfort) is finished and enters into service about 2024. It will come into DFW airport direct to terminal B where the current TEXrail is located. That said, it will eliminate the long DART light rail travel to terminal A. Instead, I will then be able to take a shorter DART Red, or Orange train to City Line Station just north of Renner Road and ride the Silver line straight into DFW terminal 2, walk across from track 1 to track 2, or vise versa to catch the other train to Ft. Worth. It will cut time off the trip by at least a half hour. 

I walked the old Stock Yards which seemed to me to be turned around end-on-end from my last trip. I found the old Armour and Swift landmarks. The old wooded stock pens have been cut down to just a few. The old Round-About for the trains to move from one line to another are still there,but are now really seeing more traffic than the original trip but on the previous trip, instead of just one street , the stockyards seem to me to be a much better entertainment, retail and restaurants district than beforehand.

Originally, I had wanted to see the "Herd" moved down the street route but I missed it by about 10-minutes that was lost in Dallas with the DART 17 bus route taking a break that I had not planned for. After a great meal and visiting all the old haunts plus checking out some of the new ones, I did here the Grapevine Vintage Train whistle but never saw it. It was 3 pm and I was now pretty tired and looking for the Ft.Worth bus 15 stop when I took a nasty fall onto the sidewalk from the spot that is on the downhill slop,had little 1-2-inch steps going down to the pavement. It was there that I stumped my toe on those little steps and was propelled forward, trying to recover, but falling hard onto yet another raised slab of a storefront that had about a 6-inch metal edge on the stores stoop. I did land hard and had some nasty scrapes on one of my knees that hit the ground first. Instantly. there was several people that came to my rescue and one man pulled me up to a standing position again after making sure that I was alright. One woman directed me to a concrete parapet between the sidewalk and the street to sit down. Great people and I thank all that were there to help and aide me at that time.With that, I gave up waiting for the 4 pm cattle drive and caught the next 15 bus to came my way. This morning, my knee and tibia are a bit sore but I'm not complaining. I was lucky and I know it.

Five New Friends from Utah

It's amazing. I already have 5 friends from Utah and when I met this cache of 5 that doubled the number of friends in Utah. 

I promised to have these on line for you tonight and after getting home right at 7PM it's been somewhat for a scramble to get the images ready for submission. Yet, here they are and I will tell you that tomorrow there will be a post about the day at the Stockyards. It's changed a lot since my last trip there nearly 10 years ago. What I saw today is a remarkable transformation. 

The  Alabama v Texas game was on at the H-3 Ranch. The food was great and the service was spectacular. Naturally, I had to see the ole nail biter ending. Reminds me of my years in the Great Lakes watching the BIG10 teams (Michigan) and (Ohio State, my son's Alma Mata).

Never-the-less, you guys were a fun bunch and I hope you have an enjoyable evening watching your Pro team play in person. 

Thanks so much. I'll remember you guys with a kind heart.

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