Virtually in Dallas

Posted on August 19, 2020 by vanbraman

This week I am virtually in Dallas teaching a course. I started out on Friday with some on-line lectures while the students were still at home. Monday was a travel day and now they are gathered together in a hotel conference room with an experienced engineer.

Now, the experienced engineer is helping me with the hands-on portion of the course as I observe from home through Microsoft Teams.

So, I have been thinking of my last visit to Dallas and also when I lived there long ago.

Walk to Lunch, Dallas, River Walk, Love Field, Embassy SuitesThe last time I was in Dallas was for a course in the same hotel where the training is being held this week. The hotel overlooks a river and has a beautiful walkway to nearby shops and restaurants.

Chick-fil-A, Love Field, Northwest Highway, Lunch, FoodI ate at a Chick-fil-A for the first time on the trip. Since it was right by the hotel I ate there several times.

Korean BBQ, Small Plates, Korean CuisineI remember going out to eat with my students at a Korean BBQ restaurant. No meals out with the students this time since we are physically distanced.

Great Uncle, Texas, Army Nurse, GenerationsOn that trip I also made a visit to see my Great Uncle Fred. It was to be the last time I saw him as he has since passed away.

Texas Longhorns, Texas, Fort Worth, Cattle DriveI also made a trip over to Fort Worth on the weekend to visit a friend who I traveled to Turkey with and also visited the Stockyards.

Apartment, Devry, Student Housing, TexasOn the way to the airport for the flight home I stopped by the first apartment that I lived in while going to college in the Dallas area.

Tom Thumb, Tom Thumb Page, Work, Cullum Corporation, Safeway, Irving TexasI also stopped by the grocery store where I worked when I started my career in the medical field by working in the pharmacy.

Lots of memories while teaching this class. It would be nice to be there in person.

Steven

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100 Degree Yard

Posted on August 18, 2020 by vanbraman

It has been very hot here in California and you can see this in my yard.

dried out rose, high heat, yard work, roseMy roses are not looking so good. The blooms are drying out very quickly.

yellow rose, 100 degree roses, yard workThe petals are withering in the high heat.

high heat, rose, st. patrick, 100 degreesMy St. Patrick roses are not fully developing and the edges of the petals are damaged while they are still buds.

side yard, low water, brown grassMy little side yard is turning brown. There are two reasons.

First, the sprinklers don’t pop up high enough as the ground level has risen from all the clippings that have been left through the years.

Second, the neighboring yard has been converted to hard scape, but still has a tree in the middle. The only source of water for the tree is through roots that extend into my yard.

smoky sky, front yard, dying lawn, green grassThe yard on the other side of me is no longer watered and is mostly dead. This is also extending a bit into my yard, even though I continue to water. Again, two large trees in the neighboring yard have only my yard as a source of water.

The 100+ degree weather has not been too kind to my yard and roses, but they will eventually recover as the temperatures drop and fall approaches.

You may notice that the dried out portions of the yard appear orange in color. This is because of all the smoke in the air. I can really feel the smoke in the air as it really effects my eyes, even though I am inside.

Hopefully the forecast will change again and it will start to cool. Currently, with the exception of Friday the forecast calls for 100 degree days for more than a week.

Steven

 

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