Sunday, December 27, 2015

Final Images from White Rock

The close of 2015 is coming up quickly. With the turn in the weather and the cold setting in finally, this will most likely be my last images from the lake for 2015. For sure. It's been a good year for the goal has been to reduce the amount of medication ordered up because of the old ticker. The reports from the cardio-boss man have been good. The progress has been good because of the long cardio walks with the camera in hand, the celery sticks laced with peanut butter in the ditch, a few crackers (unsalted) for the remaining peanut butter from the two tablespoon limit and a banana. Sitting at the picnic tables at Dreyfuss Club, or up at the stone patio on the high road of Sunset Bay or one of the shelter houses overlooking the lake on the hot days of summer  has paid off health wise. 

This summer saw an early  morning sunrise in August, a couple of unreal sunsets in December and  three trips a week around the lake in between. There has been some really nice people who think a lot like me. There are a few more that would rather have me think like them. But as my old family physician, who grew up in New Orleans and is buried there today, would tell my mom and me," you listen to what people say and when they go home, you do as you damn well please."  Stress has never been a problem for me probably as a result of, and thereafter  listening to,  those lectures. Mom sat in the chair in the examining room and I sat on the paper-roll table as my doctor delivered those words, not once, but many times while growing up.

It is hoped that everyone have a safe and happy New Year 2016. Hopefully, ticker and pacemaker willing, I'll see you again in the spring. Meanwhile, enjoy the images here while I clean up the construction mess on the website in the bleakness of winter.

A river.

Two coccinella magnifica

A corporate jet on ILS Approach

Friday, December 25, 2015

Eagles at White Rock in February 2013

February 2013 Pair of Bald Eagles Fishing
February 2013 was my first sighting of the pair of bald eagles at White Rock Lake. With love for nature, I did not hold back my sightings and have talked about the eagles steadily since 2013.Contrary to what is being spread around about me misrepresenting or giving out bad information,the only reason I dug into the archive to find there images was the fact that I have seen plenty of smoke screens in my 70 years and it seems that those who hope to discredit my sighting have had  a nerve struck and they (men and women alike) feel their little grip on, and having to share their wildlife with, an ever increasing population of Metroplex nature lovers slipping out of their grasp.

Nesting Pair of Bald Eagles over White Rock Lake on February,2013

February,2013 at the Dam
Now, having said that, I can go back to enjoying the nature and wildlife of White Rock Lake.

26Dec2015: edit for punctuation clarity.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Museum of Tomorrow

While Dallas does have some noted buildings built by world famous architects, our latest architect with his second structure still under construction at present Santiago Calatrava has a masterpiece in Rio de Janiero. The Dallas City Hall and The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center were designed by I.M. Pei. Santiago Calatrava designed the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and did redesign his original design work on the Margaret McDermott Bridge currently  under construction. But this week, was the opening of Calatrava's  Magnum Opus in my opinion. It is the new Museu do Amanha (Museum of Tomorrow) in Rio de Janeiro on December 19th. The site is in the old port section of Rio and is part of a major redevelopment program in the area. I have seen the area personally on my first trip to Brazil many years ago. It is an amazing work of design and while I am proud to talk about the Arts District in Dallas and what it has to offer, I did a bit of work figuring out just how big this new Museu is. By loose calculations, the entire arts district could be placed in one third of this structure. The transformation from the old site to this new structure raises the bar for other cities in this old world if they want to compete for tomorrow because tomorrow has arrived on yet another continent of the Americas.

For those of you that want to see an image of the structure, you can search for the Museu do Amanha in Rio. Or, you can go to Alamy and enter in the search box FA1AG5 to bring up the image. I just tried it and it worked. Alamy.com  and enter FA1AG5 (That is FAone AGfive) to be clear.

For those of you who do not want to see Calatrava's non-bridge work, I have some pelicans,geese and ducks for you.
The angle is a duck having just had a drink tilting his head upward.

The pelicans can be so funny to watch.

Two migratory geese fighting. It lasted a pretty long time.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Some of You Have Ask

Some of you have ask about how you can view our live news feed images. First and foremost: Thank You!!  But, it's not really that difficult. So, here is an easy way to learn how to do this remembering two things.
1. There are two options. the first option will allow you to view and search the live news feed.
2. The second option allows you to view our stock images where our news feed images and stock are archived. The news feed images rotate off after 48-hours. Where do they go? They go into the submitters archive stock image portfolio, which can be searched afterwards as well.

Going to the live news feed only.

Click on anywhere within the black box with a lower case 'a' or the word 'alamy'. That opens into a new window. When it does. click on the black 'a' or inside the black box again. It opens to the alamy home page. You will see a search bar with a magnifier at the right hand side. You will also see in the search bar the words by that magnifier that says 'see images'. click that and when it opens scroll down to the bottom where it says 'see live images'. You are there!! when it opens again, start at the top of page one and scroll down. The images begin to rotate off immediately as other images are added and force the current images down to page 2 or 3 or 4 or sometimes 5 then off the rotation.


If you want to see our stock images or news feeds that are archived 

To the right of the black 'a' box is also a search bar. Above that search bar are the words: 'dallaspaparazzo.com. If you click that link on, you will by-pass the live news feed and go directly to our archived images where are nearing 1300 images at present.


Images by dallaspaparazzo. com
Enter a keyword, name or reference number:  

Search all the images by dallaspaparazzo. com on Alamy

Friday, December 18, 2015

White Rock Talents

Many, many times, the winds echo my words that there is always something different happening at White Rock. Today, was no exception. When is the last time you saw a tightrope walker practice? With the weather being almost perfect for a very late fall day, here is one of those surprises.

At the same time, I have been photographing since August, the leaves of the White Rock Sycamore  trees and even finding some of the largest leaves that I have ever seen. Yesterday, another record leaf was found that topped the "then recorder holder" at 9 1/2 inches by 11 and one quarter. Yesterdays was over 14-inches by 13-inches. When it finally relaxes and the folded over tips can be measured, it will be larger, no doubt.

Here is today's finds.
Practice makes perfect

The sycamore leaves are hanging on and producing excellent displays for very late fall.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Shortest Day Approaches

It is a true statement:" Time waits for no man." Where it goes is an enigma for sure. Winter begins in less than a week. Christmas Day comes in ten days. New Years arrives in just over two weeks. It makes no matter whether I'm ready or not, so the past few days found me at the lake and sitting at a picnic table with my health snack. I got my cardio walk in and just enjoyed the nearly perfect weather. That part changes tomorrow as the first of several cold fronts arrives and kicks the temps back down to a more normal winter level right on time.

Two weeks ago, I watched the cormorants begin flocking and flying their 'V' formations over the lake. They have been happy campers but know with their keen circadian rhythm that the coldest weather this season is about to arrive. Currently, when the cormorants or pelicans or sea gulls or egrets can't been seen, I can usually find them in their second or even third place were they hang out because of the change in fish whereabouts. In a way, they are just like us. They are creatures of habit. But the call of the wild beckons to fly south. They will be back in the spring after they disappear and can not be found in any of their favorite trees or log branches in the water.

A feather floats with the leaves on the water's surface.

A man walks his dog near Winfrey Point

White Rock Rowing Club sorts gear on one of the club's docks.
Click on any picture to enlarge. It's okay. You won't break anything.

Wildlife Images are interesting in urban nature settings.

                                           I still have to pinch myself that I caught this capture a few years back, like pre-Covid days. I ...