Carrollton Festival at the Switchyard----

 was street to street people, vendors and rides. The size from last year was a quadruple balloon in size. 

The weather was great. The sunshine was fantastic and it was a town square of lawn sitters around the gazebo. The stage area had not only music but dancers included. Carrollton police table had old-fashion suckers that I have loved since first touring the

Spangler Candy Company's facility in Toledo, Ohio. It was fantastic, too. Even the fireman at the table said that he liked them more than any other he had tasted. 

 

90 last week.50 with freeze tonight. It's a weather e-ride ticket.

 Well, enough on the weather. It is what it is.. But, it has cut into my shoot time. I was so pressed for shots that I changed the lens on the camera, made sure I had house keys in my pocket and stepped out on the porch for one of the most  amazing  moons that I have seen. 

Yesterday, I was watching a HD camera from Lake Tahoe as the moon came up over the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada on the east side of the lake. I was stunned at the size.It was like the sun had come up again out there. So, I checked out the cycle of the moon rise for here and then for Lake Tahoe. While waiting for my coffee to finish brewing, I braved the cold and stepped out on the porch with camera in hand.   It was cold.I have not  acclimated from the summer morning heat of 80 that meet me all summer long. But, the view was  so spectacular that I  actually took more shots that I had planned. 

Tonight, when I had a  chance to download the images, it was well worth the chill, the effort and the time.That's what I like about photography.When it thumbs you up along side of the head and you realize that the image could have been better, you just keep trying and trying until you get that shot where the  camera shocks you with something extra that made the shot even more spectacular than you had hoped form. That pat on the head this time was worth all those thumps in the past.

Fall Scenes

 It will be the last day of good weather as we are expecting 5 straight days of heavy rain from the Pacific Hurricane that hit Cabo yesterday. The system is moving slow at about 4-5 mph. So, we got out this afternoon and walked the edge of our favorite forest thicket. 

Found some interest things, too. Walked about 8,000 steps. 

There is a lot of construction  going on in the parks and many of the old haunts are closed for upgrades. It's got to be done and I suppose that there is no time like the present to get it behind us. 

I had  expected to see less color than I found because of the drought conditions this summer. The old adage that it takes a flood to get you out of  a drought. From the forecast and the clouds from the hurricane
already here during the day today, the forecast of rain amounts are going to be heavy---so hopefully everything soakes in and  doesn't run off.

A New Town Square Reopens and a Couple of Royal Visitors As Well.

 Last weekend, the Downtown Garland Town Square reopened after a two-year make over, several millions of dollars, American singer and songwriter, LeAnn Rimes performing. After the crowds were all gone (I thought) I made my way to see the finished product on a beautiful fall day. From the Dart train station, I walked the long block to the Northeast corner of the old square and rounding the corner, I meet  group of  people on the sidewalk. Almost instantly, the Royal Mounted Police Uniform stood out with that famous Stetson hat design that they wear. WOW! it's been a number of years since I last saw one of those. I crossed the street and almost instantly crossed back again, excused myself and ask the woman the uniform adorned if, indeed that was a Mounted Police uniform. "Yes", she smiled and replied. I then ask her and the gentleman that she was with if I could have a picture of them. "Yes",she replied again. After taking the shot, I ask if they were visiting on business or something formal. She replied that the gentlemen was also part of the Mounted Police and  that they were here for a conference and to visit their hat maker..I had forgotten that the hat maker was only about a mile or so away and that I had been there myself and checked out their shop that is open to the public with a large selection of hats, some even Stetsons. I learned from her that their hats were  that famous look that I had seen before and didn't realize that the had was made right here in Garland. 

Yesterday, I saw the local news show them in the hat shop. Yes, I even scooped the local tv station and had even sent an image to my brother the night before. But in the moment of this writing, I then walked back across the street and toured the new square from corner to corner before visiting my favorite deli on the Main street side of square. 

One thing that I noticed right away was all the traffic lightss had been removed and the corner crosswalks had been rounded with crosswalks  in colored tiles. New stop signs on new standards were also present. It was at Main and 6th that I had taken a picture of the street sign "Main 600" several years ago that became one of my top sellers. Well, that image is now a historic shot because the sign is long gone now. But I did get a shot of the new standard across and diagonal to the original  in front of the theater.

 

                                                  There are Canadian Flags in Texas, too!

Fall Weather Returned for 5 days, then.......

 the 80's and low 90's are back. As my brother says: "That's why we live in Texas". He is so right about that. I remember one of my friends in the Great Lakes, called me the first Thanksgiving that I was back in Texas and ask me what I was doing. My reply was: " I'm sitting on the porch in a T-shirt and shorts watching the birds and a squirrel playing. What are you doing?" His reply was that he was  freezing his butt off," Well. that's good enough reason for me to agree with my brother. That's why we live in Texas.

It got down to 45 ° F a couple of morning and the highs didn't get out of the 60's. I have keep a log on when I had to turn on my heat every year and. Within a couple of days, I had to turn it on for one day just to get the chill out of the house. The AC has been set to come on when it hits 74°F and it hasn't been on yet. So, I'm counting on it not coming on the rest of the month. I don't like giving money to the electric company, don't you see?

With the cooler weather, I was able to get out and take several hundred shorts. My monthly step count is at 77,201 for 32.89 miles and a 2,835 calorie burn. I like that. So does the old heart. September was at 56,349. I do function better in cooler weather, but staying informed as to the weather helps me plan, too. 

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the afternoon at my favorite Urban Nature Park. The fall wild flowers were spectacular. One of my favorites this time of year is the dried thistle stems and seed pods that have not released their seed yet. In fact, about 70% of what I shot was thistle stems.

Also, the big change to this fall shoot was that most of the agencies that I list with have all gone to AI (artificial intelligence) processing. While it is a big bust to agencies workflows, it is also a threat to most photographers in many ways. There isn't any regulation to it that I am aware or any of the photographers that I know are aware and the likelihood that abuse will occur is already showing up  in some areas. The one thing that I have noticed is that my phone pictures have started to show up here and there and I did not put them out there willingly. That's were the family pictures have surfaced the most. To me, it is a thief of my images. I'm not all that happy that the big Silicon Valley companies have what photographers are calling, "assets in waiting". I call it greed. But, I have never opposed change. Without change we are stagnant. 

So. It's good to be back. It is to be hoped that I didn't drive all of my readers off with my frustrations  about AI and the Dark Web Boys that have little or no ethics what-so-ever. But, Karma eventually catches up with them. I've seen it happen with those that wish to see you fail. But, at my age now, I really don't let it bother me that much. Life is to short. 

Enjoy the images.

Our Precurser to the Blog Return next week.

It's been a long hot summer from  several angles. When things get quiet, look out. and that was an understatement.  Never-the-less, we got a lot of house cleaning done (even saved a little money, too). The legal beagle's sniffing has turned up some interesting things about hackers and those that scam. I am not unsatisfied with their results, either. Now, we can set the rat trap under their directions and catch a few rats.

On the horizon coming for the re-start, we've actually been hard at work, too. A lots of changes to help us make some better presentations of images, but that part (sorry to say) is still lurking in the shadows of being ready for hopefully by Christmas, but you should notice some changes for those that follow us regularly.

I was searching one evening for things that could make my travel better. The shoulder straps on the back pack and the 45-pound weigh was causing a bit of a problem with my pace make. After checking things out from all corners, I made the purchase. Yesterday was the Maiden Trip and today was the confirmation that I should have been using this things a long time ago. It can fit my folding stool, camera bag, insulated bag for my water bottles. It fits perfect and out of the way on the buses and  the trains. Ironically, yesterday, trying to get home earlier, I  hopped a sister route bus that left the transit center sooner. We were about a mile and half from the train station when this loud pop and bag brought the bus to a stop. As it turned out, I was the only passenger at that point and the driver I had ridden  with before, said he was hit. I got off the bus, because I didn't want to be on the bus after an  accident not knowing if the fuel, or gas could explode. As it turned out, I had to walk about three quarters of a mile up hill to catch  a bus to the station. With a supervisor on scene, she could have notified the follow up  bus to make a  stop to pick up any passengers. She didn't. While waiting to hear what the cops might need, I started out walking up the hill. Three stops on the opposite direction...none til the top of the hill on my side. Either way, I still got over 8k worth of step in for the day. 

Having said that: here are  some images from yesterday and today. Enjoy. On a sidebar, I have long known the name of a muralist but had never met him as I have several  others.  Today, by timing coming together, I got to meet and chat with the artist (JR). Thank you buddy. It was my pleasure to finally meet you. Thanks for the great work, too. 

Yesterday I noticed a high number of Monarch butterflies while I was at Addison. The count per 5-10 minutes grids  was enough to take note that most likely, they rode the cold front in over the passage of the front. Today, I was still seeing a nigh number and while looking at some of JR's work along a trail, a fence was draped with morning glories. The  big Monarchs were having a super boost of energy replacement with the nector being so abundant.            

Monarch's are here!!

                        The strike line at Stellantis uaw facility in Carrollton's Chrysler Parts facility.
 

The Scouting Party of American White Pelicans have arrived on time

The weather has been slow to move toward Fall even hitting the first couple of days of October. Our first real fall cold front is due this weekend with temps falling into the 70s. A welcomed relief from the 55 days of record breaking heat from August 16th. It was an early Sunday morning when I arrived at the lake. The trip was to confirm that the scouting party for the pelicans had arrived. They had. Numbering a few more than in years past, at 22-24 birds. I was talking to Northern Illinois this morning and it is still warm there. Once that cold front hits, no doubt, the birds will be on wing for sure.