Birds in the wire!
It’s that time again in North Texas. Grackles, or better known here as “rats with wings”!. These birds collect into flocks of thousands of birds and last night, I was in Burleson at sundown and came across the intersection where they seem to gather every year at this time. There must have been millions of them flying around, perched on wires, in trees and on the ground of the shopping center looking for food. They are a real nuisance because, as one can imagine, they tend to leave a lot of droppings, especially on cars. Wether you knew this or not, bird droppings contain acid which could do serious damage to your car, so try to park in an area that these rats do no congregate!
How many time do you see something, such as a sign that triggers a memory of something else? When I first saw this storefront, the Doors sign cause me to reflect on the music group of the same name but yet, this was a store selling old doors. This is the Old House Supply in south Fort Worth and a treasure trove of old furnishing from houses being torn down in the area. Looking at the prices on theses old windows and doors made me wish I had kept the 20+ windows I had changed out over the years. Our old house (most lily built in the 20’s) was moved to the current location in 1962 and came from the area of southeast Fort Worth where Hwy 287 now runs between downtown and Loop 820.
Spending the day with my friends Jean, Thomas and Connie Mullins at the White Buffalo Gallery in Glen Rose, I was standing next to a table with a candle display the was made up of candles on mercury glass holders. As the late afternoon light came in, I was caught by the simple beauty the light reflected, and thus, with the camera in hand, I tried to capture the light!
So we set the alarm for the crack of dawn only to find that the peak was almost an hour away. On top of Chalk Mountain the cold wind was howling and luckily I had a wind break to set up the tripod in but the lower the moon got, I had to move more into the open to get away from the trees that were ruining the shot. Now that I have the feeling back in my fingers, I was able to post this shot low on the horizon. The lights of Tolar and Bluff Dale can be seen off on the horizon. Just after this photo, the moon blended into the morning mist as the sun came up.
This photo was taken during an open house at the White Buffalo Gallery in Glen Rose, TX. I had gone out to the truck to retrieve some camera equipment and looking back, I saw the ideal shot!
Scott Gipson 