Spring Weather is Hitting like a Seesaw---Up and Down.

 When the weather is in this phase, I tend to stay in doors. At the first break of sunshine and temps 50°F

and above, I get outside very fast. The weather was great today, but it's going downhill like a lead balloon. High wind warnings are out and the temps from the second cold front is doing to do the same to temps. Some of the Weather Service long range says that it could be like that through the end of the month. But, there is hope because after today, I am convinced that its going to get better as tree branches are beginning to bud out in a wide scope of plants and trees.

I've spent a lot of time walking of late. Since I got my app for footsteps, I've been kicking the heck out of weight loss again. Plus, getting out of the house and giving my lungs a good turn of fresh air. Today, I hit the nature trails in Richardson, walking the distance from Galatyn Park train station to City Lines train station, then reversing it back halfway and covering the distance from US75 and Renner to George Bush Turnpike Service Road to Plano Road and back to the trail head at Spring Valley Nature Trail.  

The  City Line Station of the Silver line next to the Light Rail Station in use, is really a two-fold project. The station construction is one part but the other part is the pilings and cross bars that will support the tracks above and over US 75 North. Today, I was able to get up close to the pilings as they make their way on a gradual turn after departing the City Line Station on it's way to DFW Terminal B as the third train into DFW from Ft. Worth through Dallas, Richardson, Plano and Garland. A total of 26 miles currently under construction.Plus the Light Rail from Plano and South Dallas to Terminal A using the Orange Line, Green Line, Blue line and Red Line.

On getting off the Red Line at City Line, I headed toward the nature trails but stopped and dropped my camera bag to unpack and get my first shot. It was just to good of a shot to pass up. A Young man sat on the top floor parapit of  a parking garage that connected two rows of apartments facing south and north. The man was facing east overlooking the construction of the Silverline, the Light rail stations and the massive CityLineDFW complex, that is a regional complex of several highrises for State Farm Insurance. That complex is lined with retail and other businesses. I remember when this entire area was a massive hay field. What a grown that just keeps growing.

The Image of the Day Tells the Story of Why Inside is the Best Place To Be Today

 While I waited for my T-shirt with my image from the Wind Blowing Project over the specialized screen that I made and then ordered from Zazzle  (turned out spectacular) my delayed grocery order arrived shortly afterwards. Ironically, the shipping on both were delayed, one more than the other. But, in the end, I was able to get a shot in a perspective that I had not ever really thought about much in the past. Don't you see, I like dealing with colors. Bright and vibrant colors, no less. But, some how, I saw a grey and black and white in a different light than in the past from my porch and grabbed my camera just before took to the sky in 40 MPH winds and a high temp of 42 degrees F. I watched them do things in that wind like Hawks and Vultures do in warm thermals. It was amazing.

You see, to solve the problem with the void of color you just repaint the wall with the brightest and most beautiful color you can find. Then, set back and look at this image on that wall. WOW! It just solved a problem.

A Re-discovery Mission yields a beautiful red Tulip Tree Blossom

 Most of our readers know what discovery missions are for us when we mention them. I know this thanks to Google Analytical. Knowing that our readers tune in most always when mention having been made we were on a discovery mission. Why? Our readership spikes. The other topics we write about that brings spikes are when we mention that we have pulled Arthur Gordon from my book shelves again. And the last of the three spike topics usually has a header," Things I find on the way to the Doctor's." But this post is of a Re-Discovery in Downtown Dallas

I mention this solely because those three areas have a common thread of likeness that I also hold. At one time the first rule of photography was called "the rule of thirds". Well, that lead me in another direction. That direction, shoot what you like. In order to do that and still be productive, you need to constantly be looking for new material to shoot. But, there is a side that is like a carbon copy of things and of places and of things. Hence, the wagon wheel theory to cover the Metroplex in a timeline that keeps the graphic artist that purchase the images ahead of their calendar that they follow in the world of publishing and media deadlines. So, out of all that, don't you see, came the wagon wheel travel routes, the flow of new material (which can include the revisits on a regular routine). And some even fall into the cog wheel as Re-Discovery Projects and/or Missions. 

Downtown, today, I was in rediscovery mode. Why "because there are about 30 new buildings in the mid range of high rises that have already gone up or currently are in the process of going up or in various stages of completion. And, when there is talk about something approved for development, etc.,etc., it requires keeping the project in 'watch' mode'. 

So here, tonight, first things first. Heads up for the GA's looking for that early spring bud or bloom. We found a beauty, today. A Tulip Tree with buds opening. Keeping in mind it is the first full week of February, we just came off  of a 5 day run of temps below freezing for 84 hours.

Since Our Last Post We Have Been Iced In All Week

Since our last post, a week of steady below freezing weather and wave after wave of moisture being delivered by a deep stationary low parked over the Baja of California into our Arctic air parked over us, I've been house bound. 

Finally, today, we climbed above freezing for the day and the freezing rain build up of sleet on the ground because drips of water again. Tonight, we fall below freezing for just tonight and by the weekend, we return to 50's and mid 60's. Sadly to say (and we need the rain) we get a couple of days of rain Tuesday and Wednesday. 

I'm just happy to be able to get out of the house again. Cabin fever was helped by gloomy cloud decks with not a drop of sunshine for all this time.

After Going through most of the month, finally back to back freezes

 The weather will basically shut me down for the next week as the highs will be only 40ish. The worse part is cold rain most of the next 5 days. I was able to get out today in near 70 degrees and spent the afternoon with a second return to the George Bush Presidential Center Nature Trails. 

Cardinals were once again the main aim of the trip and was successful in seeing about 6 pairs feeding on the berries that were still on the trees. The wild grasses were still dispersing seeds and the birds were happy with that. There are some blue jays that I would like to get close enough to get some shots. Found a pair of Robins, some wrens and a first time siting of a red shouldered hawk riding the thermals directly over the nature trails. I continue to be in awe of what they have done with a fantastic nature area in the heart of a busy, high-density urban setting so close. Didn't see my bunny or the roadrunner on the trails today. Thinking about it now, I didn't even see a squirrel. Might be that hawk had something to do with those voids.

So, it's going to be a bit slow until the weather shifts toward the first of March. February is always a month to be grounded out of the 12. Today, I did notice some green shoots beginning to pop out and even found a patch of new grass about 12-inches tall along one of the drainage canals that do a fantastic job of removing water runoffs. Even that has been well planned and works very well. 

The weather service is calling for an Arctic Front to move in overnight and tomorrow and the word 'ice'  appeared in part of the forecast at the 10 o'clock hour broadcast. Gloomy,cold,wet also came over the airways with that report. Cloudy days never bothered me before but we have had some serious gloom in the cloud cover of late. 

Note the image has two cardinals. One traditional mature red and in the upper left branch, a yearling.

This is the cover image and is even larger than if you click on these to enlarge.

Stepping out now means 7,617 steps burning 318.9 calories and the payoff at 3.24 miles.

That body fat displaced by surgeries is now all but gone. The app does help. I was a bit undecided at first. But, after two months of use, I am sold on the results. 

Yesterday, I started out walking. Walked through the neighborhood, then a few blocks more and before I knew it, I had covered nearly two miles. I kept walking, and walking and my little stool came into play a few times as I would find a good spot and opened up the stool and got some shots that I would have missed by riding the bus. And the bus stop to Whataburger didn't have anything but a pole so the little stool came into play while I waited for the bus to make the stop. To qualify that, I did ride the bus on two accounts. One to visit Whataburger, the other to take me home, transferring from the bus that I was on before the transit center that I use normally.

All in all, it was a good day. I dressed warm and didn't over dress. So,  I was comfortable the entire afternoon. It was a good day and I even slept more comfortable than normal. So, that little app is gonna stay with me long-term. 

                                                        A great texture look with nature

An old mail box still in use in a neighborhood where everyone has brick pillars,but this is the best yet.

A sparrow hawk, the smallest of hawk family, overlooks a historic and live railway track while his mate sits in a tree top on the other side of the tracks. The old utility poles have glass insulators still in place for a whole section of half a mile or better. The shot below shows the clouds clearing for a day or so.

Just west of the train station for the blue line.

City of Garland uses these to point the way to downtown from all directions and some for some distance, too.

Big Cats and Little Kittens

 One of the projects for 2023 is named: Big Cats and Little Kittens.  Ironically, the first shoot was with one of the little kittens. While the name does not slant the smaller rigs, it must be used to fit in the really big rigs that are Big Cats. 

The young man that was moving out this container from a construction project, had also brought in an empty replacement for use by the contractors. Watching him from a different angle, it didn't take me long to see that what was involved in moving out a fully loaded container with old construction material and the waste created by wrapping of windows, doors, cabinets etc. While the young driver was dropping the replacement container, I went around to the other side to have a better angle in loading the packed-full container. 

After he had the container on his rig and pulled out of the fenced area I was talking to him briefly to let him know what I was doing and why. He was excited and understanding saying that he had only been on the job a short time. I watched him for better part of an hour and this young man was very cautious at ever move. Checking and double checking for safety and for care of his equipment. Any employer would be lucky to have a young man that was as caring about his safety and that of others as this young man. 

He might have been working on a Little Kitten rather than a Big Cat, but he was a giant for his care and concern on the job. That is the other side of the story as broadcaster, Paul Harvey would has said over his years broadcasting.

           Draped top with screen to keep things from blowing out while on the road.

Making double sure that things are right before causing damage to lift track

First try alignment

Second try after the pickup truck he had to back around to position.