Summer is Arriving Early with 112° F Heat Index and several days of 100 and above.

 So, while the heat will limit activity to early morning and early evening, I will be in under the AC and working on indexing images that I have been putting off for a bit. Today, I said to one of my brothers that this is when I miss living in the Great Lakes. They are 70's all week while we begin the slow roast of Texas summer heat. Come on Labor Day.

The header image of Old Red, the former Dallas County Courthouse, was my last photography shoot downtown to update my previous shoot from the old camera to a new take with the new camera and more up-to-date technology. 

The reason that Old Red was selected was that the gargoyles are more visible now. I have always liked the old architecture for the reason that those little scary creatures that adorn that type of architecture was a bit of humor, I thought.  To me, it was always an expression by the architect, so-to-speak. Even if he did it to say, "Look at the money you paid me to do this"  or some other aspect of the job. While the 13th century figures were designed to scare to protect the building. They also were the precursor to our modern day gutters. However one thought of them, I have just liked them for years. In old Gothic buildings of stone, I look for them. But, there is that unspoken bit of humor about them as well. 

I had to bring my "Lucilles" inside. They do not like heat like described above. I started out with 500 seed and I have only 10 plants to show for it. Believe this, they are harder to grow than meets expectation, I am finding out. I have been giving them water with an eye-dropper. The potting soil is up to grade. I know that when I first saw them coming up at the Water Filtration Guard Shack, they looked so amazing. Every time I went back, they were stronger and growing to their 2-3 feet height. I've always had a green thumb. In fact, I have plants on the porch that I rooted from clippings  and even got the butt end of a stalk of celery that I saved in the crisper in a plastic bag to sprout and start its growth. So, I am thinking that growing Lucille's would be somewhat of a breeze and my only worry was that I didn't have them in a larger pot.Well, the prospects of me having a pot full of Lucille's to shoot and show you guys is looking pretty slim right now. I'll keep you posted for those that are bent over laughing about now. 

Above are a few images of some art discovered off the Denton County Court House Square three weeks ago. I also like  those kinds of discoveries while out shooting.

A slow stroll through the streets of Downtown because

I wanted to test out the settings on the new camera so that I could compare with the previous shot images in downtown. When I had the images loaded and they popped up on the screen, there was no comparison to the detail with just the increase of pixels, let alone the ability to get away from that easy way out of using the auto focus setting. 

Like getting away from film to digital that was so hard for me at first. This had the same affect in the net results. It was truly, the first time since getting the new lens and body that I felt satisfied and was happy with being able to try out new angles of old shots from the past. Now, I can't wait for fall. Come on Labor Day !!

So, here are a few from that walk that lasted nearly 4 hours. Some of which covered new ground to get a different angle of buildings both old and new glass. While in Dealey Plaza, I came across a guy with his family that was wearing a Detroit T-shirt. As I walked closer, I said, "Boy, are you brave to be wearing that T-shirt here in Dallas." After his standard reply, of something like 'it's cool' I said, "I know. I feel they same way when I wear my "Red Wings T". He looked stunned but his wife was already laughing as he caught on to the set up. Then, I took off my cap and showed him the inside of the hat with the big tag, Minor League Baseball. Then, I showed him the front of the cap with the Hen with a T on its cap. " They are the minor league farm team of the Tigers ! It's the official Toledo Mudhens hat. He was stunned to find a Detroit baseball and hockey guy in Dallas. It had us all laughing. 

If you increase your browser magnification to 100% you will see amazing details of the stone work in the old red courthouse.  The Federal Protection Service of Homeland Security car is one of the most interesting markings of any federal vehicle that I have seen over the years. As I am standing on the corner waiting for the "walk light" I realized that I had never shot an image of a Homeland Security vehicle. This one was awesome with the seal on the fender and the specific department on the door. 

The Hyatt Regency Hotel that sits next to Reunion Tower. An angle shot of old red and Fountain Place Tower (pointed at the top 60th floor). Then, old red with a view of the tallest building currently in Dallas at 70 odd floors: the Bank of America Building.

One of two television towers in downtown. Shown here is the Landmark WFAA (now ABC channel 8) that stands next to The old Dallas Morning News Building and across the street from the Belo building .Search your history on the Belo. The family mansion is on Ross Avenue and was once a funeral home where Clyde Burrows lay in repose. It is bar of the Bar Association now and shared with the Arts District.

The Pegasus Flying Horse history goes back to 1934, The Magnolia Oil, Mobile Oil and the Magnolia Hotel, the one-time highest building in Dallas. 

An last,(first image) is the side view of old red.The gargoyles atop the building are both amusing, and interesting in old style architecture.

150th Year of Deep Ellum.

When it was announced last year that the person that had organized the Deep Ellum Arts Festival was retiring, it was a cultural shock. Somehow, the locals came together and put on at least something on Crowder running across Commerce, Main and Elm Streets. No both sides of Main Street with stages at either end, street performers, or many of the artist that travel from Texas north through the spring ending in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the granddaddy of 'em all for spring  art shows and festivals. I did miss seeing 'old' friends that had made my Davis Besse coffee mug some 40 years ago. Never found one like it since. Davis Besse was a nucler power plant on the western shores of Lake Erie. I even wore my new Mud Hens Baseball cap for the Detroit Tigers Minor League farm team. I did try to not be totally disappointed this year, but I must admit that there was a loss experienced today that will be hard to rebuild.

To me, it came no where near the Deep Ellum Festivals of the past. Hopefully, corporate sponsors will step in and bring back the absolute return of, if not greater than, the past festivals. But, considering the 150th Anniversary of Deep Ellum Founding, I was glad to be there again in May.

It's the End of May and this past week has signaled to me that its time to

 start going out in early morning hours when it is still cool. It's already in the 90's on a daily basis. And, the humidity and dew points are running above normal, too. That makes the comfort index (when you can sweat by just standing still) with a reading of 130 on the comfort index scale (by adding the humidity and the dew points together). That will be an earlier change to sunlight that will be need to be adjusted in my settings. In the meanwhile, here are a few retakes of old work.

It is also a time when I retake some of my old images for upgrades. It's that time of year when the sun is king but it's also that time of year when regular doctor appointments begin to kick in, then there is the fourth of July and I'm thinking---come on Labor Day already. I've used some of the time to re travel some old routes and the changes that I have seen are just absolutely unbelievable. The growth in Dallas and the Metroplex is showing no let up and 5,6 & 7 story massive apartment complexes are everywhere. So by fall, there will be many things that will make a smooth (and cooler) transition into fall.

8,798 steps for a blue heron, a mother wood duck and a coyote jets across infront of me.

 It started out with a trip to the pharmacy to pick up a refill for the old heart. Then the weather cleared  and while I was out, might was well go check out Flag Pole Hill's new upgrades. I like the walk from the train station and taking the Flag Pole Hill Trail along the low lands of White Rock Creek that flows into the lake. Flag Pole Hill was or is part of White Rock Lake, although now, it is more or less two separate parks. 

My first image was at the second bridge that actually is over White Rock Creek. The first bridge, a half mile back, is over a creek branch that broke off the main creek farther north and flows southwest. There, I saw the biggest spider web that I have ever seen. It had a guide rope from a tree along the creek to the bridge, a distance of some 20 feet. The main web was suspended closer to the bridge and over the water flow part of the creek. The question that I still ponder at this writing, is: How did the spider spin a guide rope that distance? It was amazing. And it was an active web about the size of a 12-inch skillet filled with all kinds of insects. Just after leaving there, is when I was watching the fish flounce in the water with another guy that had been watching them as I entered the bridge deck. Then, I see a blue heron and with the first mastery of manual focus on the new camera settings, I got several shots before he flew under the bridge and found another place closer to the water. 

After leaving there, is when the coyote ran across the trail directly in front of me. By the time I got the camera up and aimed at him, he was into the thicket of massive oak trees that were felled by storms a year or so ago. At the gps location marker, I called the coyote hot line and reported the sighting. Parks and animal control are doing research on the coyote population in Dallas. Ironically, yesterday, I saw a bobcat along the rail line as he crossed the tracks from one side to another and then back across the tracks again. I missed that shot, too. Two great shots of prized wildlife in the urban setting and I miss getting them both. I am still not totally adjusted to the much bigger lens and I don't want to shoot everything in auto focus as I have done 90% of the time in both the old cameras. So, it's a painful loss of shots like the coyote and bobcat for a while until I master the art of a more powerful lens. No excuses. It's just letting you know that not ever thing is as easy as a point-and-shoot. 

I did get some shots of a Wood Duck with her brood out fishing in the creek. The chicks were a fair size for this time of year but they were so cute and playful while mom was just being herself;cool,calm and watchful. Where I saw them was where I have seen the nesting pair before in past years. This pair I do believe were the same pair that I saw a couple of years back as pop sat on the branch and called  for the nesting check to jump to the ground. Mom was waiting at the marina dock to get them in the water as they ran from their jump to mom. Really, wood ducks are not only beautiful in the feather department but in the nest site up in a tree. Some wood duck nest boxes are available, but this pair really likes the old style of raising their chicks up the tree.

A few turtles were sunning on logs. I have pictures for National Turtle Day post each year. I don't need more turtles.

Dallas Police in their armored heavy duty golf cart. The Northeast Division Station is at the end of the trail a couple hundred yards ahead.

7,974 Steps to Find the wildest wildflower, and out of place items.

 Starting out, it was perfect weather. Then, in the early afternoon, the comfort index skyrocketed and my shirt was soaking wet under my backpack. Add in a dose of the wind going flat, it was even hot under my Mudhens baseball cap that arrived a couple of days prior. 

As I was leaving the house, my neighbor ask me where I was headed today. I told him there wasn't anyplace in particular today because I had already done research on places where my pictures were hot, warm, cold and even dead as far as sales were concerns. It has been most successful in the past to just go and let the trail lead me where ever. Surprisingly, it works and I find more to shoot that sells on those kinds of days.

Several years ago, I would get in the car, pull out onto the street and basically followed the path of least resistance. Some of my best images were the result of those kinds of days and now that I ride the bus and trains, it's even more amazing what I run across. Today, I saw a bob cat running along side the rail tracks where the scrub bushes were growing. It's been a while since I have seen a bob cat in the wild. About a month ago, I saw a coyote for the first time in a couple of years. I don't feel comfortable walking some of the trailheads because of the wildlife more than people looking to do harm. I keep aware of my surroundings. The thing is, when you find something interesting and you start to plan out the angle, light etc.,etc., and you loose awareness sometimes. But, I've worked on it knowing that it is a slight problem here and there. 

As far a learning the new settings on the new camera, today was a break through on a couple of them and as a reward, I stopped at a Sonic and had a chocolate milk shake complete with whip cream and a cherry on top. It was a boost of needed energy as the walk to the next bus stop was a bit further than I had planned. So, that required another reward and I stayed on the bus until I was across from Spouts Market. My favorite from them is a four-pack of Pistachio Muffins. Oh, are they so good. Then, I backpacked them to the return bus stop and to the rail station.

 

A Retail Drone lifts off and goes on a delivery.

 A retail giant has a new money making toy. It can carry 10 pounds and service an area .8 of a mile from its base. Ironically, large apartment complexes surround the store, which  ironically was built on ground that was covered by large scale apartments years ago. Now, new apartments are going up on the same ground that was many dwellings of some of the very customers today.