Previous Fall Colors in Dallas' November-December Peaks

 

A couple of ice storms

A normal seasonal change

A season of being neutral, except for the vulture flyover.

 In North Texas, you really do not know what you are getting until it arrives. Such as our beautiful weeks of mid 80's and then wham-o, we now have had our first freeze of the season and are expecting temps to be below our yearly normal of 60s this time of year. This year, we have two weeks of below normal with highs only being in the 50s. Just north of us along the Red River today, Oklahoma picked up 5-6 inches of snow. It's 60 miles to the border basically so there you have it. We live in a weather mixing bowl here in North Texas.

Arthur Gordon Calls it: A Truly Memorable Encounter: A Luminous Encounter

 In his book, A Touch of Wonder, The chapter called, The Gift of Bright Encounters---Unlikely Friendships has long been memorable to me. Over the past two weeks, I have had two of those encounters. Normally, I might have one or two a year, let alone one a week back to back. Over the course of time since, a lot of thought has been given to those two encounters. One was sparked by the laid back, easy going young man who encountered me with a question: "What are you taking pictures of?" My reply was "chimneys". He went into the store where I was sitting on a bench outside. Quickly, he came back out and in a super-laid back way said, "I forgot my wallet" as he strolled down the sidewalk and  disappeared around the corner of the building. Shortly, he returned, "You got me thinking about chimneys. I've seen three around the corner." That was the day that I got up from the bench and was about to go around the opposite corner of the building to New York Sub, where the bench had given me a break to just think about architecture and the chimneys that I had been focusing on, when I looked up and saw the 6 contrails of high altitude commercial jets on vectors going east as the sun gleamed off the planes showing that they were traveling at about 5-mile separations, a standard for the FFA Traffic Centers. Also, unusual to see them at all in that formation. Generally, you see one here or one there or two crossing in an 'X' but never 6 side by side.

The second encounter happened this past Wednesday on my way to my ill fated doctors appointment that was scheduled by me a day before my doctor's office called me from last years notes the doctor had put into the system to schedule. My appointment was not until 3:15 had it gone as planned. I had planned to do some fall shooting before taking the bus from the train station that would take me to in front of the doctors office. The park was busy and filled with people being served a holiday meal near the train car of historic times. Others were looking at the City of Plano's Christmas Tree which was already up for the holidays below the gazebo and in front of the lake and fountains. I walked over the bridge to the other side of the lake and from the walk that winds it way through the park saw a young man in a black cowboy hat at a picnic table playing his guitar, singing. When I had entered the park from the train platform's access, I had heard music coming through the breezes, carried by a moderate, but pleasant autumn wind more like summer than fall with temps in the low 80s.

I walked over to him and ask if he would mind if I took a couple of pictures of him and his guitar and case on the picnic table as he kept doing what he had been doing. He said to me that he didn't mind and I walked around the edge of the lake and then walked up by the side from a distance and got a couple of angle shots that I felt fit the mood of the music that I was hearing. It was one of those encounters where I had explained to him that I have long ago started shooting images of musical instruments and artist out in the open rather than a concert. The exception was stage shots of artist at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival.

Both of these encounters I have written about in past daily post from those days but as a background to the story, Gordon, wrote that, "afterwards you know that you have learned something valuable---something that can't always be described exactly, or measured of explained,but something. When on of those luminous encounters take place, most people feel an impulse to preserve it, somehow". 

In these two encounters, something valuable was this: Encounter #1, the young man was very much like me in that he didn't get excited not having his wallet. He simply carried on to solve the problem and with the return letting me know that he had also learned something---chimneys were on the mind. He was even counting them. Encounter #2, the young man had written original music and published on You Tube. Its what I once called Space Music. It is soothing. Great to fall asleep to and relax. We later, through e-mail, talked about his music and how I have long considered music and photography to be the 'twins of creativity'. We now follow each other on social media. His being my blog and me being his You Tube channel: etherealfrequency. 

The October, 2019 Tornado Across No.Dallas and NE Dallas An apartment chimney is being rebuilt after the storm.

 

July one Day and Cold December the next but Still Tropic at Pirata Fish

 Glad that I went out on Wednesday when Summer was still here. The day started out rather good, then turned forgetful from the Doctors when the schedule showed no appointment that was made twice but somehow, their system deleted the appointment. Then, the day got better again. 

While waiting to catch the bus to the doctors from the train station, I had allowed time to have a good sit-down lunch in Plano.What I had in mind was redirected by the walkways to cross the tracks at the train station to save a few hundred steps. Much to my surprise, as the bus that I came in on was going on north, I had time to wait for the southbound bus that would carry me to the doctors appointment. As the bus came in on its driveway to be continued by heading north, I had spotted a quaint little restaurant that I would normally consider well hidden from my new travel routes and named Pirata Fish Marisqueria Del Mar A Su Paladar. So after getting some already posted pictures of Haggard Park, once again, I took that track crossing walkway and headed toward Avenue K (which I know to be a continuing Greenville Ave. in Dallas). Walking up the sidewalk, I rounded the parking lot and had plans to use one of the outside picnic tables. Once, through the door, those plans quickly changed. 

Earlier, as noted above, the quaint little restaurant was inviting from the outside and was welcoming from the front door to a themed tables that I have seen in Mexico and in Brazil. Come to think about it I have seen them in South Carolina and in Ogunquit in Southern Maine also.

The ambiance was delightful. The quaintness always suits me fine and it also brought back memories of a business associate in Toluca, Mexico that I visited at his factory. The service of chips and two kinds of dip was a delight because I had a quick breakfast and was out the door. It was after midday and I was a bit hungry. On ordering, Enchiladas De Machaco with rice, cheese sauce and french fries was going to take care of the hunger I was beginning to feel. The food was excellent. The personnel were excellent and the overall experience was well worth the $$. Upon leaving, I heard, "See you soon."  I will be back was my reply.

 

A Beautiful Fall Day in Downtown Plano aka The Things I Find on the way to my Doctors appointment

 Over the years, music being played solo or in a rehearsal outside has been something I photograph in the street photography department. It could also be in the sound department if I shot video. I've thought about adding sound at times. 

The young man was playing in Haggard Park in downtown Plano.The sound carried on the wind across the park. As I was telling him when I ask if I could shoot a couple pictures as editorial images, he told me, " Sure. That is find." He was very kind and I related to him how my interest in shooting instruments and people playing outdoors  started in my mind. I was down town along the Trinity River when I heard this fantastic sound of a trumpet echoing off the cement pilings of the railroad bridge. To this day I still hear that sound in my head. The same was echoing today brought with the wind and that triggered my memory of the bag piper, the drummers, a cello, flute and a piano. But stings and brass are like the Cadillac of sounds outdoors. Oh, yeah, I forgot the tubas at the Michigan football games with Ohio State as a tradition of dotting the"I"in Script Ohio.However, that would fall into the drama department. Michigan's tubas were the sound.

Plano had their Christmas Tree Up at the base of the Gazebo overlooking the lake and fountains. Holiday Meals were being served to a group near the historic rail car in the park. All-in-all, it was a great fall day to be outside, even if the doctor's office deleted my appointment from the data base and I had to get back outside before sunset. That's the "fall back" down side of  Daylight Savings TIme.However, I've never remembered it being so late as it was this year.

More Architecture, Chimney and A Surprise

 It was a perfect day in the weather department and with rain moving in  before the next cold front that will put us in a chill for a longer period of time than our one day of 48° and then not warming up any warmer than 53°today had to be the day to venture out if I was going to get out with impending weather. 

As it turned out, it was a lucky day for some interesting images. And, sometimes---not always--- I kind of let the Lord be guide were I go. When I was driving, I did that from time to time and it turned out quiet well better than I would have done picking places. So, just because the mode of transportation changed, does not mean that I cannot do that in this situation. As it turned out, it turned out better than I would have done. Didn't I just say that? Well, that is okay too. 

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour plane was parked at Addison airport and refueling. Earlier, as I learned later, it had been a red carpet hanger presentation, which I missed somehow. But, I did get the shot of the plane doing the things all planes must do if that stay in the air. They drink fuel JET A class . That was the shot. Being refueled. That is the kind of shot I like more than the one with all the pomp and circumstance. When I shot the Christmas Parades before they ended that tradition in Dallas, I walked the work areas where the floats were being made ready prior to step-off time. The better shots were there most of the time. 

So, I got a lot of walking in at Addison and even more checking out the status of the old Valley View Mall. That project seems to be on hold a bit. Thinking that the Feds triple rise of interest rates might have halted some of the original timetable. It's sad to see the old mall gone. I liked that mall more than the Galleria Mall, which to me is more on the line of North Park Mall Farther North than anything else. Anyway, I grabbed a sandwich at BK and would walk around the mile up, mile across and half a mile down to the bus stop for the same bus that I had gotten off  at Montfort and Alpha picking it back up on Preston just beyond the old Jared Jewelry Store. From there, the connections were like clockwork and I was home about a half hour earlier than planned. Officially at DFW, it hit 81° at two one-hour reporting times and when I got home, I had shed my jacket earlier and packed it in my backpack. My shirt was wet at the collar. So, with rain tomorrow, laundry day will be at hand as I have sorted out my summer shirts to be cleaned before I put them away. 

Click on one image and the enlarger is enabled for all as you click them on the thumnails.

Goal Set Obtained on Foot

 After getting off the bus at the White Rock Rail Station, I set out on foot to achieve a post operations recovery. The goal was to walk the entire length of West Lawther Dr. from the White Rock Rail Station to Garland Road at the southern dam lookout end. Actually I have ridden my bike the entire 9.3 miles once and walked from the parking lot at Mockingbird Pedestrian Bridge around to just short of the west side entrance around to the parking lot again. So, basically, I am getting back to normal in strength and stamina ( the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort). That was my goal for the day and it was accomplished and documented via camera timeline and locations and not the Google method. The first image taken at 12:43:29 at the train station as I began the walk to the bus stop at Garland Road and San Rafel bust stop for the 214 at 18:15 (6:15pm) to South Garland Transit Center to the 242 to Lake Highland Train Station for the 17 Bus Central/LBJstation. Home at 19:39:56 (7:39:56pm). Long day on foot, bus and 1 1/2 rail stations. 

Here's the thing. it has been over two years since my emergency surgeries ended my daily trips to White Rock--my place of good sanity health. I had attempted the East Lawther leg from the White Rock Rail Station about 14 months ago and only made it to the old Doctors Hospital (now White Rock Medical Center after 50 years of Doctors Hospital and name changes.) Since then, I have take more smaller walks to get my strength stable again. So, I am making some progress forward. But, what made me take this walk was to see all the new mansions built on W. Lawther and always in search of new Chimneys. My collection of chimney designs is ever growing.

Spanish, Asian and American Style in and adjacent to the Estate Section of West Lawther Drive. 

One moment of excitement. I am sitting on a bench overlooking the lake just off the trail when I heard this loud pop. I looked to my left and this squirrel coming down the tree trunk headfirst had its tail going crazily back and forth. I got up to go see what was happening when this snake strikes at the squirrel.The snake had a squirrel or some type of rodent in its grasp with its head staring straight at the prey. The squirrel came back and tried to irritate the snake further. In short, the squirrel was trying to make the snake move away from the tree. As it turned out, hearing people talk later about the snake said that it was there when they walked past the first time but on their return, the snake was gone. Feisty little squirrel.

The snake is a pit viper but I cannot identify the specific species. Need to talk to Mr Johnson at Dallas Enviromental for White Rock Lake.

Chimneys Gained A New Suporter Today.

It was a long awaited trip back to Hillcrest Avenue, the retail side of S.M.U.west campus.  Since selling my car, it was one of just a very few spokes of my Wagon Wheel Route through the Metroplex photographing most things Urban that I discovered could not be reached via bus or rail. It was a void that drew us in that lane some 20 plus years ago when we discovered a few things that were being missed in stock photography in the Dallas Metroplex. One, things where we live. Two, things that are above our heads because we all (well most all) have their noses buried in their phones. And three, as the Big Tuna, Bill Parcells, one said, about football, "the circus doesn't stay in town forever". And how true that is. Just this week I counted over 50 images in our portfolio that are not even there any longer. Bulldozed right out of history for the most part--- except for old men that have captured it with a camera in days gone by.

One young man ask me today what I was taking pictures of. "Chimneys", I said. He came back out of the store that he had entered and said, "forgot my wallet". A few minutes later, he was back and said, "You got me thinking about chimneys now, I counted three around the corner." Not only did he have a great personality but one that will do him justice in whatever field he enters.  As Author Gordon wrote in his book, A Touch of Wonder, on rare occasions on a chance meeting, a spark jumps between two people. Usually, the person is older but age has little to do with it. The spark either jumped or it didn't, but when it did, it left them changed. That encounter today, left me changed.

As I sat on the sidewalk bench outside the 7-Eleven a bit longer, I got up to start heading toward Daniels St. When I looked up and saw something I have never witnessed in my 69 years looking through the eye piece of a camera. Five parallel contrails from high altitude jets going east with the FAA 5- mile separation between each of them. It just goes to prove that people just do not look up to see what is above their heads. Not a clue to their surrounds which includes the up-slope side of the universe, too. That stopped me in my tracks. After getting a shot or two, I realized that I had not had lunch and went down Asbury St. to New York Sub, where I had the best brisket/pastrami sub since I left behind the three week long junkets up an down the eastern seaboard from Florida to Main I did yearly. I once recall thinking as I looked out the window of my flight and saw the sunlight gleaming on every swimming pool below. "That's my steel in those pools" And it was, and a lot of other places like the end of Long Island or Boston or Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and 3-mile Island after the melt down. I've had a pretty amazing life overall. But in retirement, that capture of any of my images that people buy over and over again is one of the most rewarding in life overall. 

KP and I had plans to open a gallery, but his life was cut short way to soon. In his poem, I wrote," I knew I had to release you to fulfill your better dreams." His graduation from Ohio State made me so proud. He worked hard; did every thing right. Now, after all the years of grieving, I now celebrate his life each and every day, seeing him but only in a glimpse in others as they pass buy. I know that sounds strange to some. That's another reason that I continue  to flip the shutter on my camera daily. It's for my Sanity Health. It keeps me in the realm of reality and grounded not only as a human being, but in my faith as well. No father could ask for a better son and what he accomplished in 27 shorts years. While my other two make me  equally proud, loosing a first born son is more difficult in life than anyone who has not experienced that, knows. 

So, this beautiful fall day was a delight on a lot of fronts. And I need to get some things done with my editors in that I had to remove the 10,000 plus images from my webpage portfolios because someone hacked into my system using one of the direct links. Still, my customers and editors have been good to me and I will continue to keep them in mind as I shoot my wagon wheel route covering the Metroplex. Postings to the blog will begin to pick up again. I think I have two upcoming doctor's appointment at the beginning of each of the next two months. That will slow me down some, but I'm not concerned about that downtime. 

For those that are still interested in our portfolios, you can go to each of their websites and search for our images at Alamy (4400) in the UK; Getty/i-stock(482); Dreamstimes (2097); Adobe813; Big Stock(1102); and of course out curio outlet, Zazzle under Glendines Design Fashion Works, Moontripper, or Blue Wind Designs. That's how the media buyers do it anyway. (for those that are bean counters, the numbers don't add up to 10K you say. And, you be right. That is because I don't count the ones in the Vault that will never be divulged.) They are counted as assets that won't be released until long after I am pushing up daisies. Some of them, go back to the beginning days of dallaspaparazzo, even before the dotcom was added to the name.

                     Light. It is the morning sunlight that stuns the architecture here

The image below was posted last night and this morning, someone had hacked "STOLE" the image. I have alerted those that publish images including others that have a bit more power to trace the IP that downloaded from the image. This is exactly why some of my images are stored in the vault and have never been published on the internet.

                                          Actually, there are 6 contrails in this vector

                                              A Methodist and a Presbyterian

                              
                              My chimney collection contains some 50 plus chimneys

                                  60 feet below grade at S.M.U./ Mockingbird Station