Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Looking For Textures today. Found a Texture Mine

                                               Spring is busting out all over in the Metroplex.


One just never knows what you will find these days. Everyone has an opinion on why things have gotten so crazy.  That is exactly why I don't shoot people in poses and do weddings etc.,etc. There is a bus stop that I pass through almost every time I go out. A couple of weeks ago there was this weird accident at a high traffic intersection. Today, there was another on the opposite corner involving three vehicles instead of just two. A popular Asian Shopping Center because a cut-through for a bus that had to pass up two of its stops because of the fire trucks and police. I try not to let things like that bother me when I'm walking and using public transportation. But, I guess it is because I've seen so much over the years that having a normal day does not really occur that much anymore. In fact, I pretty much expect to see bags full of things during the day.

It's ten degrees cooler than yesterday and it still hit 81°F. At least just normal jeans and shirt made the backpack and camera case easier to carry with the folding canvas stool instead of dealing with a heavy winter coat. It rained from a fast moving system from California that cleared out of here by mid morning. Then, gusty winds dried up the moisture but left pooling ponds to dodge on sidewalks and curbs. 

I've been passing a rather unusual themed restaurant that was developed along a stretch that I cover in the old neighborhood area, Not far from where my mom lived, then I lived, after my younger brother had lived in the neighborhood as well while he was single. My, how time flies. But, when the train stopped at the station across the street, I got off and started walking another block of the blocks. I found some red bud threes that were busting out the blooms already. Spring is gonna pop here real soon. Usually by the first of March in years past. I had even forgot that Fat Tuesday was yesterday and people were beginning the first day of Lent in the Christian Religion with burned palm ashes placed on their forehead. When reality struck, I walked over to the restaurant and went in side.

I had a great lunch outside on their covered patio eating to the sounds of the street and the trains. When I finished, I ask the host if I could take a couple of shots of the most unusual architecture element that I had seen. It was simple and yet, it just stood out. "Sure, have at it, he said."  That changed the attitude of the day. It was 4 o'clock when I walked into the house with some keepers and some that were ifs and maybes because of the wind and me not changing my settings like I could have. Yet, the keepers will go to one or two of my agents that knows how to choose things from the same view point that I saw when I choose to shoot them originally. Everyone thinks that fads last. They don't.

                                                Simple,plain, very well done interior

                                                        Plastic Cars or not, this was a hard hit.

Another discard of the same breed as I found yesterday.  The difference here is a single glove and a woman's. The ones yesterday were a pair of men's. What's the odds of finding the same discard 10 miles removed from the first find?

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

90°today. Not even a record, but the AC was working on the buses and trains. Lunch on a bench in Lakewood.

 Discovery Missions are always fun. The fun is in the discovery. Even if it is small. The discovery was a new small number route; small sign topper; small architectural element that is over 2000 years old in design. The design comes from Morocco in North Africa's Marrakech to Casablanca train route. But sold for centuries in the Market's of Marrakech. 

As far as the small number route. Well, it is a bit over an hour from start to finish and in some places it's know as a true crosstown. It's about 20-minutes to get where I started but enroute found another way to pick it up midstream for it is the far western end of the route that I really would like to explore more. Another time, maybe when I can start out earlier than I did today. And this being Texas, before it gets to hot.

                                                                    Morocco Treasure
                                                                    Historic Junius District
                                                      Some things people discard along their way

                                             

Sunday, February 19, 2023

Knoll Trail Mystery Solved

 Everyone knows where Knoll Trail is but no one can find it, or so they say. In fact, I know where  it is but only if I travel from the opposing direction. The one Silverline Station under construction that I have not photographed in that amazing state of creation, is the Knoll Trail. The reason is that the developer of the now leveled Valley View Mall has included a people mover from the Valley View location and the nearby Galleria to the new Knoll Trail Station. 

Well, today, I solved my mystery. Knoll Trail is a continuation of Momtfort at the Walmart on the corner of Momtfort and Arapaho. In the Issue No. 1 Silverline Dallas Rapid Transit stated that the station was a "Kiss and Ride" station with no parking. From what I saw today, there is parking. Plainly marked. To be fair to DART, they call it an urban oasis. Actually, that definition comes very close to what this station will be. The people mover thing came from the developer at the old Valley View project. I have not seen much action from that site but dirt being moved from pile one to pile two. Come on late 2024!






Saturday, February 18, 2023

Beautiful Georgian Architecture at SMU for Thomas Jefferson

 The architecture at SMU is of the Georgian style chosen by the architect from the style at Charlottesville, Virginia's university from the Thomas Jefferson era. It is one of my favorites, still, today. The Cox school of business is undergoing at present, a major building addition with a quad structure. 

The Perkins Chapel of the Divinity School is always a peaceful experience inside and out. I love the benches and the rose gardens before going up the steps to the entrance. Today, I noticed at large number of tulip trees in bloom. 

I always walk by the Greer Garson Theatre Building. My mom knew Greer and I do visit her grave from time to time out of total respect for such a wonderful person that she was. Mom would like that, too.









Friday, February 17, 2023

Got to Ride the New Electric Bus Today. AWESOME!!

 The route number is 106 and 28 leaving from their stop at the Rosa Parks Plaza across from the West Transit Center.


It was smooth

It was Quiet

It left no odor.

The comfort of the interior is 100% improved 


I have been wanting to know which one of the downtown buses would go to Trinity Groves at the west end of the Margaret Hunt Hill (Maggie 1) Bridge. I had a choice and took the first one to pull in, which was the 106. I came back on the 28. Truthfully, I hope to see more of them on the streets. DART sold me with one ride. Seen here on the Maggie 1Bridge with the arches of the Maggie 2 in the background of the Maggie 1 cable stays. Trinity grove is at the end of the bridge. I shot this from the Ron Kirk Deck Park which for 80 years carried the Singleton Traffic over the Trinity River on the Continental Bridge.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

A Very Interesting Historical Marker to a park in North Dallas

 Yesterday, I walked the White Rock Creek Trail from Forest Lane to the LBJ Expressway on the west side of the Dallas High 5 Project. Over the years, I have long enjoyed the flowing waters that cut their way through the chalk cliff banks.

                                    Foot bridge crosses over onto the second large soccer field
                       Markers on the White Rock Creek Trail from Alpha Road to White Rock Lake
vein that runs through the northern geography of North Texas. I have seen boulders fall from the cliffs the size of a small van into the White Rock Creek that flows as part of the normal watershed. 

A couple of years ago, part of the trail had to be closed as the banks were shored up before the trail could be reopened. Yesterday was the first time that I had a chance where I could see the work that had been done. As I passed along the street, Park Central, I could see some major changes going on. Having said that, here, the images will explain a lot.

  Honor to the former land owner that is now named in his honor as a city park: Anderson Bonner
                                                     The State of Texas Historical Marker
                                            The rapids that flow through this part of the park.
 

                The Rebuild of the Trails Bank that had closed the park trail for a fairly long time.The image below is just a bit up stream from the picture above. This seems to be more stable at the point.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Found a Large Tree in Full Bloom today. About three weeks earlier than normal.

Took a walk down the White Rock Creek Trail that is under development. Some of it I've been over in sections  including Anderson Bonner Park. That's part of the chalk vein that runs through Dallas. The weather was in the upper 70s and while a lot of moisture was moving this way, the sun stayed out most of the afternoon. 

Winter returns tomorrow with the high hanging in the low to mid 40s but the wind chill will be below freezing. I'm home bound tomorrow for sure. Glad I could get out today.






It All Started in the wee hours of May 28th when 80 MPH winds was tossing everything against the side of my house.

 Those winds were substained for well over 40 minutes. The results were trees everywhere down or large branches broken off. One of my bus ro...