Monarchs Are In North Texas Migrating South and Train History Is on Display Near By

The shoot today was the beginning of fall beginning to reveal itself for this drought year 2022. The Monarch Annual Migration back to the mountains of Mexico where they literally hang around over the winter, is underway. It will take three generations to get back into the Great Lakes and Southern Canada. It's an interesting fact about the Monarch. 

During Kindergarten for all three of my kids, the church was big in educating not only the kids on the life cycle of the Monarchs but the parents learned a interesting history as well. The school had net cages where they watched the cocoons being spun by the caterpillars, the hatching into the morphed butterfly to the release ceremony when the kids release their butterflies to fly to Mexico for the winter. 

As a side note to this, my wife and I had a friend who sailed on Lake Erie and Lake Huron about this time of year and had made some images of not only one but several Monarchs hitching a ride across the lakes on his sail boat. With the internet, there is a Monarch watch site that tracks the Northern journey South to the winter homes that they will never see again after they leave Mexico and start their trips back North, taking generations to get back, yet the trip south are done by one the last generations going North and will go the distance in one generation to Mexico. So, photographing the Monarch is something with very special meanings for me, especial since my oldest son (RIP) is no longer with me, an that his mother just passed away  in the last couple of months. My younger son and his sister were also schooled in the Monarch Project. Usually I find the milkweed patches earlier in the season so I know where to find the Monarchs as they migrate through North Texas, which has been in the past, around White Rock Lake. But, today, there was a sport found along my wagon wheel spoke route in Garland. There were dozens in one spot and they were just beautiful. 

Prior, the old AT&SF rail car that had been moved, along with the original station house of the Santa Fe in the downtown part of old Garland. The new location is off the parking lot of the Garland Library and is an interesting museum of railroading history of Garland. I have images of the move of one of the oldest residences next to where the Pullman car of the AT&SF and station house are now located. The other house that was a neighbor in its original location is now sitting in a residential area of South 11th (Pace Hose) The Lyle House sits now waiting restoration off the parking lot of the Library next to the Pullman car and the station house. 

The new re-due of the town square will take another14 months of construction to finish. All-in-all it is about a 24 month project. While talking to one of the contractors today, I told him I didn't like it. He ask me why. "No trees," I said. Well, they did save one tree. The others that took half a life time to grow were bulldozed. The contractor said to me that,"they were going to plant new trees here and over there." Before he went on further, I said," Well.I won't be around to see them the size you bulldozed. I'll be pushing up daisies."  He laughed.

I like trees and that is that. They are the HOV of earth and we need many more than those that are disposed of  with the push of a bulldozer. He, interjected that they were, "doing this for the younger generations." And  I rebuffed, "are they really doing that for the younger generations? And, I moved on to City Hall for some beautiful fall plantings outside between the sidewalk and the street. The contractor knew what I meant and our parting was on good terms. 

Milo Butterfinger's Grill & Saloon

 With the weather somewhat better than the relentless 10 days of 98 with high humidity, getting out again has been a long-awaited event. Frankly, this has been one of those years where Summer was not nice. Never-the-less, the last two days have been like a hot and cold type. By that, it is meant that one day was good shooting while one day was not very good for shots. 

Today, this afternoon, was the first time in a while that I have been able to board a bus at SMU/Mockingbird Station and bring it completely home without getting off until my final stop. I have not been able to do that since the big schedule changes took place this past January 24th. Still, the schedules are a mess and DART seems to think that things are working well unless people call in. My share of letting DART know how bad it is for my stops that once upon a time were flawless. Now, the stops are not dependable for the two main buses I use from and to home. When I am out and about shooting on the wagon wheel schedule, it doesn't matter to me. But when I'm ready to head home, I expect to be able to get there without any problems. 

From SMU/Mockingbird station, I walked the street from the DART parking lot down to Yale past the City of University Park's facility. Over the years that part of Yale Blvd. has undergone a major change in a short 2-3 blocks to the Northbound Service Road of Central Expressway (US Highway 75) near President George Bush's Presidential Center. But, from there back to Greenville Avenue, it's restaurants and bars and saloons. Low rise apartments cover the area also. 

There were a couple of guys walking toward the bridge that crosses Central Expressway that I ask, "of all the selection of campus bars and restaurants would you say is the best of the bunch?" The one who spoke out said that," I'd forget about all the rest but up on the end [Greenville coming this way] is Milo's. It's a funky type sports bar that is the best of the bunch."

 (note that Yale Blvd. has now been made SMU Blvd. to reflect the growing presence of the East Campus of SMU across North Central Expessway (NCX; US 75; etc.etc.)

I had the best Hawaiian Chicken cutlet with scalloped potatoes, white sauce, green peas and a buttered flaky roll sliced lengthwise. The price was good and the menu changes every other week. They will be sending me a menu for the week. I have been looking for a place that had an ole style Friday Fish Fry like the American Legions did every Friday in the Great Lakes. There are plenty of fish fries here in Texas, but that type of fish fry is just different and I am curious to see if this one will meet the test of my taste buds and expectations. I'm tending to think that it probably will. 

Well, I feel like a pin cushion. Haven't felt like that in many decades.

After getting my Covid-19 booster # 3 and the seasonal flu shot, I felt pretty safe that the protection for a winter outbreak from Covid-19 or the flu was done. The next day I was out shooting again because my arms were not that sore from the shots. Then, I came across one of my passions for railroading when I found a pile of old ties that had been replaced on a very historic piece of track that runs behind my house. It has been close to a year since the traffic stopped. Then about three weeks ago I was awakened one morning about 2 a.m. with the rumblings of a passing train again. "Surely, it was a dream," and went back to sleep I thought. Then, a couple of days later while out talking to one of my neighbors, the sound and earth began to rumble again and looking up, there were double stacked shipping containers passing by. Don't you see, Dallas has an ever growing large inland port just off IH-20 in South Dallas. The second piece of the equation is that the Kansas City Southern Railroad moved it's make up yard to Frisco a couple of years ago from the KCS facility off Garland Road south of Northwest Highway in East Dallas. Now you know why there is so much truck traffic on IH-20.Each one of those containers fit onto the frame of an 18-wheeler.

Seeing the old ties stacked along the track, my state of inquisitiveness peaked like an old thermometer that ends at 100° and the needle is pegged because it's more hot than what the dial reads in degrees. In short, "I got to go check this out", flashed through my mind. Now, I don't Trespass, especially when I see signs posted. But, "there is always the other half of the story " Paul Harvey would say from time-to-time. And that got me thinking. Let's see, I can't go this way because the KCS has the right-of-way posted. but, the easement used by the home owners association with the high tension wire company that is running next to the KCS postings is wide open. And, with the lens that I had with me, walking down the easement of the HOA would put me right where I wanted to be without trespassing. 

In retreat mode, my mind was already working to remember about when that category of images was last shot, when I saw an old 2x4 laying over an overturned shopping cart that the neighborhood kids use to scale the HOA fence as a shortcut. Reaching down to pick it up and lean it against the wall, I took hold of the board and Lo and Behold, I put the fleshy part of my left had right onto a nail that was sticking out the bottom side about and eighth of an inch. Sure enough, it punctured and blood was running. But, I took the time to look to see if the nail was rusty are not. It was a fairly new nail so, I flushed the wound with water and made sure I had cleaned it the best as I could, then applied an antiseptic hand wash that I carry with me. Finally, I pressed my middle finger against the wound and headed for the house. Now, my mind is racing through my knowledge of when was the last time that I had had a tetanus shot? It had been more than 5-years so it was a give me that I needed one within 48-hours. When I got in the house, I washed the wound again, cleaned it again with alcohol, then applied a non-sterile but antiseptic skin wash used before surgery. Then the old band-aide routine sealed the deal until I could make an appointment  and get a shot the next day. The wound was not sore and was not red so, there was no infection developing. Good thing. Long story shorter I made the appointment on line at my Walgreen's and now, the big question was, which arm now. Tetanus shots tend to be more sore at the site. It was then decided that it would be my Tuesday Arm over my Thursday Arm (That's another story for another time that saw me getting 2 shots a week for 4 years as a kid, hence the Tuesday Arm v. the Thursday arm).

The historic tracks are the Atchison,Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Chartered in 1859 and still live rail, today. Johnny Mercer made it famous with a song he wrote by the same name.

Covid-19 #3 Booster and Flu shot Now Done.

After getting the servers back up, I ventured out to get my third boost of the Covid-19 vaccine and got my flu shot at the same time. Now, it is just playing the waiting game with Mother Nature for that first fall cold front that feels like fall. With yesterday evening being the official start of Fall, it was 98°F. Not the Great Lakes Falls that I remember. One of those was sitting out on my porch in a part of shorts and a hooded jacket with the cat curled up on my lap. He loved cold weather too as I had my coffee right there with me. 

With the Sahara dust now staying in the African desert, the Gulf has bloomed with a melody of different type of storms, but every kind could be found on the satellite view. Today, there was Hurricane Fionia; Tropical Storm Gaston; Tropical Depressions 9 & 10 and a Disturbance 2 off the African Coast near the Cape Verde Islands. An Atlantic soup of everything nature could offer for this Hurricane season. 

The High Sierra Mountains were 75° by day and already dropping into the low 20's at night. That's a daily swing of 50° readings in one day and that is happening every day this week if you follow the National Weather Service daily pages for the region. The Aspen trees are almost fully turned for the ones that I watch. WOW, there is an up side and a down side to everything isn't there?

While walking from the bus stop yesterday to my drug store, some interesting things were found. One, was a well appointed shed that was filled with white doves and pigeons in a backyard  up to the sidewalk. Never noticing it there before.The cooing could be heard, even with the traffic noise along the street. A bit further alone the sidewalk there appeared a long winding vine that came up over the eight foot high brick fence. Then it was a matter of being curious as to what the vine was. Looking up into the Crape Myrtle trees between the fence and the sidewalk, there appeared yellow blooms in the Crape Myrtle that were still filled with beautiful reds and white blooms and had started to seed. Then, it was a serendipity discovery. Zuchinni squash hanging in the Crape Myrtle tree. It was an interesting way to see how a wandering vine can be directed by a person or Mother Nature into such an interesting perspective.

After leaving the drugstore, it was a short walk up to Braum's Ice Cream and it was  a Cheeseburger Combo for lunch. It was getting pretty hot at the time and had thought of going to stop at the Sonic but there was little breeze and the picnic tables were fine, but it was just to hot, especially after having my two shots to sit outdoors. And, Braum's have nice booths by the windows and it's cool in side. 

After eating, it was a bit of a hike to the bus stop because of a large soccer field complex that is a private non-profit. So, taking it easy when there appeared a sign that didn't seem to make much sense at the driveway at the back of Braum's and Sonic. So, walking  inside the large ice rinks that sits about where my bus stop is on the other side but that Soccer field is fenced and it was going to be a slow trip walking being the Kroger's store and the other shops that are part of the shopping center.  Inside the ice rink, I ask the lady behind the desk if she would be kind enough to explain the sign out front in the driveway. She explained that the Soccer crowd tend to park in the Ice Rinks parking area and they were getting ready a pickup game on Friday (today). And others had ask the same question about the signs.One rink was totally empty and then at the other rink there was a couple that were practicing. When they stopped, holding up my camera and asking if it would be okay to get shots of them on the ice. Sure.

Upon leaving, the silver boot trophies that sat on a shelf in the rinks lobby shots were missed and it will be saved for another day. As I made my way around the side of the rinks, there was a second sign in the back parking area like the one in the front of the rink. Then it hit me. Silly, you were at an ice rink and the sign says no soccer parking. Nothing like feeling slightly foggy on readying the signs....and as the lady explained in the rink, it was a problem with a large soccer field complex (which I had seen that problem in the past, too) and a double ice rink hockey complex it was not something new to me as in the years before the land was developed behind my drugstore, there was a private street that every one used to cut through into or out of the shopping center that tied the ice rink and the soccer field together along the road. 

Along the back of the Kroger's alley a UPS truck was parked in the shade of one of the big trees along the edge of the Soccer Field. It had been my intention of ask the driver if it would be alright to get a shot of the open back of the truck as he was re-organizing packages in the rack. He also had just serviced the UPS store on the corner of the shopping center where he had parked in the alley. Watching my time to make it to the bus stop before the bus arrive, it was also another item for another time and we bid farewell and my walk to the stop was a bit more swifter now. Making the stop on the far side of the soccer field, checking my phone app to see in real time how far away the bus was from the stop, an older couple with grocery bags were walking my way and they kept looking back over their shoulders watching for the bus. When they got there, nodding and pointing that the bus was a the light and that they had just made it in time. The lady ask about my app. Explaining it as the bus arrived and then on the bus as well, she looked at her husband and said, "we are going to set this up when we get home."  Actually, helping an older couple that was probably younger

than me, was a good feeling. It made the heat,walking,and conversations all worth while.

The Servers are up and running again after a 5 day technical blackout.

 It seems just when you are making good headway in something, good 'ole Murphy's Law steps in and humbles you once again. Such was the case with a main line to the server. But, this afternoon, we got the green light, finally. Frankly, it worked out pretty well in that the next 5-days are going back into record-setting territory again. It's been a long hot summer this year and while it becomes Fall officially in less than 36-hours, temps are going in the wrong direction as the annoying high pressure parked right over the top of North Texas just sits there. Sinking air heats up as we all know and while we have beautiful blue skies, that is about all there is to beauty in that department. Two cold fronts are headed our way. One is going to run out of steam and it will be Monday into Tuesday before the stronger cold front brings us down to where our seasonal averages have dropped to this time of year. Really, it's a laughing matter from the stand point of what we once would say, Come on September. Now, it's  come on late October! 

Two things have happened with this past 5-days of downtime. One, I learned things my smart phone could do that I did not know it could do. Second, I discovered that I had missed submitting some very good images to some of my editors. How I missed them in my own editing is beside the point. I'm still working of closing that loophole. If I take the time to shoot images and I don't submit all the good ones first, then the whole point of taking them in the first place is lost. 

After the server came back up this afternoon, I started work on the lost time of sales and clearing out stacks of e-mails. Working at a steady pace, I was somewhat back to normal by 6 o'clock tonight. That is, sadly enough, only half of the catching up that I need to do. But, it was the top priorities and the rest will come in time.

A couple of weeks ago I'm sitting at my desk when I hear this loud pop. Didn't know where it came from either but soon Oncor appeared on the scene and I realized that one of the panel boxes across the street that sits on the corner had blown. Little did I know that my less than a year old TV, that I didn't have on a power surge protector,  had wiped out the thing-of-a- gig  that gives me a picture. The sound is fine, but the picture has gone bye bye. So, I think that I will order a new one from Wally Sam on their special offers going on til the end of the month. Then,when cooler weather does finally arrive, I can spend the day out shooting. The State Fair begins in a few days, The Dallas Arboretum is set to open their annual 100,000 pumpkin displays throughout the 66 acres. Addison starts their Oktoberfest, which begins the last day of September and runs through October 2. It has been, since 1987, the most authentic festival outside of Munich. There are some German Clubs that might challenge that published proclamation, but while that is more pride than anything else, the fact is genuine and they are sticking to it. Then, upcoming very shortly, The Plano Balloon Festival begins for the first time since the pandemic cancelled the past two years. This year 40 hot air balloons will inflate and lift off. So,with fall just a few more hours away, it is to be hoped that the weather will settle down to where it should be for this time of year. 

Tonight, I was watching one of the live cams of a place out west and a photographer was on a street corner with his tripod all set up and shooting time laps. It started to rain and he pulls out an umbrella and held it over the tripod and camera. Then he moved a few more yards down the street a couple of times until he disappeared. The clouds coming over the Sierra Mountains were really more interesting than anything I could find that would be worth standing out in the rain for. But, to each photographers own. We all have our little quirks. 

So, stay tuned. It's gonna level out soon. Although with the El Niño and La Niña latest update, La Niña is favored to continue through Northern Hemisphere winter 2022-23, with a 91% chance in September-November, decreasing to a 54% chance in January-March 2023.The bold type is straight from the Storm Prediction Center of the U.S.Weather Service of NOAA. 

Our thanks to: Climate Prediction Center
5830 University Research Court
College Park, Maryland 20740

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.