Missed the 43rd St.Patrick's Day Parade because of the heavy rain forecast

I do not mix rain with my camera equipment. I know, it sounds like an excuse, but at my age, past cameras and experience has taught some painful lessons. For those that are thinking that they make waterproof and equipment covers. Yeah! Right. Most of those critics don't live in

North Texas, either. Heavy rain this time of year can produce hail the width between your outside little finger and the far inside of your middle finger. That is generally 3-inches in diameter using the standard golden ratio 1.614 rule. No cover is going to protect your equipment from that. And, as Sophia said on the "Golden Girls",  "you never know." 

With the location of the standard yearly parade route, I  could not use the bus and would have to use the Red Line or the Orange Line. I didn't want to be confined in a rail car where most of the 80 to 150K would be riding. The route spread over three rail stations  could walk it, I have before--just not in a mass crowd and everyone with their gear, or National Weather Service Severe Storm forecast for heavy rain and hail.  So, sorry. It was a health and safety thing for me and a health and safety thing for the equipment. There will be other special events. Even the Grand Marshall, Mike Madono  has his statue unveiling at the AAC posponed for the afternoon to the evening, during a game at the AAC.

 

                                      

Under the George Bush Turnpike as the Silver line Tracks are being laid into the near completed station at City Line Dallas

 It usually does not shock me when industries respond to growth, but the apartment building along the Dart Rail and the under construction new Silver Line that will be the fourth commuter line of 26 miles or more (in addition to the light rail which is the largest in the nation) but now, I am feeling the amount of apartments in the metroplex. Some 45K might even be under reported. 

A few days ago, I got on the light rail's red line and went four stations north to the City Line station at the Geo. Bush Turnpike in Plano. There is no more vacant land as the entire length between the four stations is solid construction from new framing  to completed buildings. Several years ago, it was zoned for 3-story construction. Then, 4 and then 5 and then 6 and now I'm seeing 7 stories with garaged connecting buildings on each floor. In other words, if you live on the 6th floor, you can drive up the ramps to level 6, park your car and then walk into a common hall way on  your floor.    

So, City Line has become a really hot spot for housing, entertainment, dining, parks and nature trails as well as the growing use of Park and Ride parking lots at the rail stations. They have been there all along---it's just that people are now using them like never before. If you live in residential neighborhoods near the stations but work some distance that is connected to a rail station, you drive a couple of miles, park your car, get on the rail and get off at your workplace served by the rail. I have even heard people say that they use the park and ride lots to get on the rail, then get off near their work and use a ride share or the Go Link connection vans to their job site. They still save on gas over all and the price of gas in the metroplex is still cheaper than anywhere else in the US. Go figure. Talk about running the  numbers--- one could only conclude that people are doing that these days. 

The new Silver Line station in Plano is nearing completion. Now, the connection to the Light Rail Red Line at 12th street is underway. There will be what looks like a stairway or even an elevator west of the station up to the platform of the Red Line. Since the Silver Line will run east to west to DFW. The Green Line runs north and south several miles west of the Red Line. The Blue line runs NE but Blue,Green Orange,Red all run through downtown Dallas. It's like a big U with arms NE and West. Some print works report it at 90 miles. And, if the bullet train with its elevated rails from Houston to south Dallas does turn left to Arlington and then Fort Worth, it will complete a massive rail loop of the metroplex with a long arm to the Gulf and the Texas Gulf Coast, not to mention being able to ride the train to AT&T stadium for Cowboys games or to see a Rangers Baseball game in a massive entertainment district in Arlington.  

It's the coming-of-age generation that will reap the full benefits of New York style transportation. One can already see the a visionary view of the years ahead and even begin to ride it more than most think possible currently.

I was watching an HD on Tap live camera the other day that is a big UP train area and have watched the new Amtrak engines and cars being towed east from the plant in Sacramento. It was on that cam that I saw late last week a commuter electric diesel like the Silver Line being run on its on power east. Some city is getting one of those electric diesel commuter trains that will be like our present TEXrail and future 2026 Silver Line train. I've ridden the TEXrail and it is quiet, smooth and very comfortable with charging stations, tables, even a quiet car. The quote the line from that famous movie, "Field of Dream": "If you build it, they will come". All Aboard!

It's Been 80's and 90's for a couple of weeks. The trees have all popped right on time

 North Texas usually sees (this year was no exception) greens and flowers on the trees by March 1. Living in the Great Lakes, you could always expect it on Income Tax Day, April 15 (depending on how it fell on the calendar). Having said that, the shutter has been clicking on the cameras with walking tours of trails, lake shores, river banks, and gardens. Yesterday, I had only a t-shirt on with a light wind breaker. By mid afternoon, the light wind breaker was in my camera cart. 

Today, it's a rain day and we always need rain in North Texas. The lakes have been near conservation levels but evaporation does take its toll, too. The landscape guys have been cutting the grass since mid January. My lawn looks like it's ready to bale hay and it was just cut within the last 10 days. 

My step meter has been active, too: 6,381; 8,638; 6,557;5,887; 487 on Election day - early voted and had to do laundry ; 9,732 yesterday. Today is a rain day and it will be less than 600 most likely. But, with the rain comes a cold front passage, yet by Monday, it will be sunny and 71. The bigger question is what with these 80 and 90 degree days so early, will be in store for May and June this year? 

I have been a bit behind on changing up the web page for spring. but, at least I got a good start today. I haven't been to the St. Patrick's Day parade in the past two years. That is coming up next weekend but I do need to check for any updates. Then, the big thing is hotel rooms are booked to the max for the total eclipse that is coming in early April. I am very interested in that in that my grandmother told me about the time when she was a kid and it got dark in the early afternoon so much in fact, the chickens all went to roost. The path for the event this time follows the same path that it did when my grandmother was a teenager. I need to get a pair of glasses so that I can actually watch it without eye damage. I would pass rather than have eye damage but I do want to see what she saw all those many years ago. 

Mom taught me about weather. She was deathly afraid of tornadoes. Outside of that, she was like an iron gate of strength. But, I lived through three tornadoes--- one in chidhood, one in my late teens and one in adult life, however, I was in Hurricane David in 1979 when it hit the coastal estuary confluence of the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee River, the Black River, and the Sampit River in Georgetown County, better known as Wineah Bay South Carolina. Never saw rain fall horizontal until that storm. Went to Winn Dixie and stocked up on food then filled the bathtub with water (after cleaning it first). The next morning as the storm pulled out, all the flooding from the 12 inch or so of rain was all gone. I've seen more damage from tornadoes than from what David served up. Of course, I'm thankful because my wife and our three kids were there with me. From our porch we could see the Coast Guard Station that was on the Intercoastal Waterway. We were in a good spot for help had it been needed. 

 

Weather Service Trims our 92°F back to 89 for Monday because of the massive Pacific Coast Storm moving West Coast to East Coast.

Winter will return on Wednesday with temps in the 50's after 7 days of fabulous weather. Reality is back. Winter is still here. Shot more birds in the past week than I usually do in a whole year. It is somewhat amazing how the ones that are usually difficult to shoot were like they were posing for the camera. Even massive sized turtles on canal banks and logs didn't even slide off into the water. So come May when it's National Turtle Day, I will have my post pictures ready to go. 

So far this short month, I have already hit 95,338 steps, or 40.62 miles walking with a calorie burn at 3,529 calories. It's been good health wise, also. All my normal readings are right where they should be and I am pleased with that. 

I do have my eye on that Pacific Storm that will make it's way across the US this week. Strong storms and large hail beyond the mountain snows that will rack up snow in feet, not inches. Lake Michigan and Lake Erie are forecast for strong storms. So, come Wednesday, it's sounding more like housework and laundry and if I am lucky, I might even make it out one day between Wednesday and next weekend. 

Finding new buds popping everywhere and even saw the resident hawk

 All this week Dallas weather is set with blue skies no rain and mid 70s to low 80s. Spring is happening  in Texas!

 Yesterday was free admission at the Bush Presidential Center and Museum. The crowds were a flow of people into and out of the center. While I have not yet visited the museum and center inside the beautiful architectural walls, my mind decided that I would go around to the side entrance to the nature trails. Spring and Fall are my two most favorite times there. I love the nature. I am a grand supporter of natural planting programs that return native plants and wildflowers to the urban settings. And, having said that, finding wildlife in a high density urban setting is the grand slam for me (first day of Spring training for the World Series Champ, the Texas Rangers, got underway in Arizona yesterday) so, I had to put that "grand slam" tick in there, don't you see. 

Upon entering the trails, I looked for my favorite bench to sit down and pull out my camera gear. It had not been a hot 10-minutes before I spotted the resident hawk riding the thermals and looking for lunch. I guess that I had suspected that I would see him when I didn't see my rabbits that are usually found around the path that I take to the bench. Now, I know why they were not seen. They were hiding from the hawk. 

Green shoots are appearing in a lot of the bushes and plants that are native. In Texas, you can pretty much count on seeing green shoots by March 1 each year. I noted quickly upon moving to the Great Lakes that April 15th was the time frame for that local as green-up follows the same path in reverse order as fall colors moving south at about 20-miles per day. 

As my grandfather had taught me about weather from an early age most of his "weather"man characteristics were right on target. One example was that he taught me that the morning temperature could be calculated to be a base line that you could add 20° to that baseline and pretty much get the high for the day. Yesterday, for the first time ever, I heard a TV weatherman mention that same point. The other rule of grandpa was, "when clouds are high and thin, a weather system is moving in". Bingo on that one too, grandpa. 

So, for the first time in a long while, I shot over 100 images yesterday. Even I was surprised at the number.

The hawk is best at 100% enlargement. (detail in feathers)

On Saturday, I got some very good shots of a cardinal calling to his mate. while Yesterday, (Monday) I saw a pair of blue jays nesting in a mountain cedar. 

Check out the history of meanings in sighting cardinals and blue jays. They are interesting and have a good accuracy history, as well.

Out looking for buds on the trees and found a beautiful cardinal.

 Since it was clear, sunny and wind was just moderate, I survived the only frost we have had this February.

So, in mid afternoon it was time to do a walk. My last two walks racked up 6,920 and 4,447. With today's walk and shoot, I racked up another 5,415 steps. That wipes out the two days of cold Friday and Saturday of a shameful 541 and 528 steps basically that were away from my desk to cook, eat and do a bit of housework. 

Here, the buds have swelled to a point that with the three days of mid 70s and an 80 or more, these will pop by this coming  weekend. Right on time to the annual March 1 of seeing green shoots in the trees. 

The reward was finding that beautiful cardinal. Birds and Blooms say:
" Native American lore states if a cardinal is seen, it is believed that individual will have good luck within 12 days of the sighting. Cardinals are incredibly loyal creatures. "

Here, he was calling to his mate. Now, I'm going to have to start looking for the nest.

Beauty, Color, Flowers and Love

What else is really needed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every One have a Happy Valentines Day This Week