Bob Woodruff Park, Plano

Fall in Plano is quite brown and grey but nature is beautiful nevertheless. The trails are covered with leaves. Even in the cold it is quite invigorating to take a stroll through the park.

Mixed Media Art Exhibition

Today I was passing by the art gallery in the college and glanced at this new mixed media exhibition and walked in to get a closer look. The works displayed include sculptural installations, paintings, murals, digital art, collage, etc. There are several mixed media installations in the exhibit. I don't know anything about critiquing art all I do is to present them on a digital canvas of this blog.

Garden Snails....

This is the first time I saw garden snails in America. During my recent visit to Bob Woodruff Park in Plano, TX I chanced upon these empty Garden snail shells along the hiking trail. Possibly because this one of the parks where the hiking trail is not concretized and still has some greenery and natural feel to it.

Oldest Tree in Bob Woodruff Park, Plano

One has to learn how to market from Americans. Post World War II these people have mastered and fine tuned the art of selling that they can sell deep freezer to an eskimo, oil to the Arab Shiekhs, Yoga and Ayurvedic treatments to Hindus, et al.

During a recent visit to Bob Woodruff Park in Plano, TX I chanced upon this tree with a board in front which proudly stated that this tree existed when the American Constitution was written. I don't know how it matters to anyone that some tree in some corner of Texas existed when the American constitution was written. Texas was not even a part of the United States at that time. Texas joined the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state while the US Constitution was written and adopted on September 17, 1787.

By placing this plaque the parks and recreation department of Plano city is trying to entice public to visit and take pictures in the park so business can be generated and tourism revenues can be enhanced. Well... great indeed... good marketing plan. Wish everyone in the world did something like this and generated revenue for their communities.

Hidden Playgrounds!!!

One of the big advantages that a sparsely populated nation such as USA provides is for people to have their own hidden niches even in public spaces. For instance on a recent visit to the Bob Woodruff Park, Plano I discovered that in one corner of the park, set away from the trails and pedestrian areas amid woods there is a quaint little play area complete with a swing, rope ladder, a wooden cabin, etc. I wondered who would come here and play but then on closer scrutiny it became obvious that the park borders a residential community and some smart resident had created a children's play area for his/ her kids in the park with natural surroundings and advantages. Here are some pictures of the play area...

Bob Woodruff Park, Plano

Yesterday we went to Bob Woodruff Park in far eastern part of Plano, TX. This is one of the oldest green spaces accessible to public in the city. There are really tall trees in the park and a huge area of the park is earmarked as wilderness area where people don't usually venture. This is a wonderful venue for a wide array of outdoor activities. For people there are walking, bicycling and hiking trails and a lake for fishing enthusiasts. A creek dissects the park and provides the greenery the much needed water resources.

Hiking trail in the park

Lake in Bob Woodruff park

Unfortunately here is where the human nature gets exposed. The creek is littered with plastics, tires, and other rubbish. I wonder even in the supposedly law-abiding nation of USA there are people who indulge in illegal and mindless dumping of wastes into creeks. Don't they know that this creek feeds a larger reservoir which provides them with drinking water? I don't know what drives such people who litter and destroy the beauty and tranquility of the environment. I hope the law enforcement and parks and recreation agencies of the city of Plano take action to punish the guilty and prevent such dumping from happening again.

Illegal Trash Dumping in Bob Woodruff park

Road Views of Plano

Plano the city of my residence is renowned as one of the upscale areas in the DFW Metro area. This area was once upon a time thriving with ranch lands full of cattle, horses, and other farming activities. But with America moving away from agriculture towards a knowledge economy there is only homes, offices, businesses and buildings. There are residential communities such as this one known as "Deerfield" but there are no deer anywhere near here. Maybe a few hundred years ago there were deer roaming around here... but now the only animals here are two legged humans and four legged dogs and cats.

Back After a Long Time

I know I haven't posted any pictures or blogs for almost a week... Busy with work, school, and of course home.... the only time I spent in front of the computer was to check mail or do school work... Today I have decided that I am going to post something on my blog and hence this is here.... I would like to post some great pictures of my travel in the US... but I haven't traveled much... at least not in the recent past and I don't have any great photographic talent... so here goes.. some mediocre pictures of a speciality vintage car event that I couldn't attend... The Shelby Mustang show... organized by the Legacy Texas Bank, in their headquarters at Plano, TX.

Heart of the Shelby Mustang

Cute high performance car...

Bridges that Link Places - 1

Life on earth has come a long way since the first human being walked on the planet. Human beings have been able to link land masses divided by natural obstructions such as rivers, lakes, canyons, valleys, etc by building bridges. These vital links have been used by governments and corporations as revenue generation tools. Armies have used the bridges as means of control by destroying vital links and cutting off the land area from outside world. It is interesting to note the different kinds, purposes, and varieties of bridges that are used by people across the world. In my limited travel experience I have shot some pictures of bridges and here they are for your viewing pleasure.

A Bridge built for hikers/ walkers to walk through the forest across a deep creek

A Bridge built for walkers and motorists in touristy San Antonio. This is the first bridge I have seen with a traffic signal... technology changes things...

I will continue with more pictures of bridges in the following posts...

Driving through mild snow

The whole day it has been snowing and the forecast says that it would be snow storm like conditions till midnight. Early part of the evening I decided to go out and take some pictures of snow and how the city's landscape had been transformed by this natural phenomenon. The sidewalks, lawns, trees, hedges, and vehicles were all covered by varying amounts of snow that added an surreal white glow. While most motorists drove with caution there were some maniacs on the road who seemed to think that driving fast in the snow is the norm. I wonder when these maniacs will learn that driving is about reaching the destination safely and not speeding in the snow and alarming other motorists!!!
Here are some pictures of the snow capped sidewalks and roadways.

Snow Storm in DFW

Coinciding with the blizzard like conditions in the east coast, the south and west are also experiencing snow fall. I woke up in the morning to see everything coated with a layer of snow. Cars, trees, sidewalks, etc were all pained white thanks to the snow fall of the night. I just stepped out on the patio and shot these pictures of the roadway in front of the house.

Community Entrances

When someone is rich, he/ she wants to do something special even if it is not utilitarian. Likewise rich neighborhoods in the US build edifices to show off their communities to others. As I meander around the DFW metro area living my life I have captured images of some of these communities. In my opinion this money could have been better spent on education of children in poorer neighborhoods, providing underprivileged kids with sporting facilities, etc. But ultimately the person who has the money has to decide on what he wishes to spend it....

Arbor Hills Revisited

Some winter views of Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano. The tower is a particularly interesting location for its stunning sunset views. One can sit here and watch urban wildlife in the park on lonely days when there are few people in the preserve.

Bicycle Trails in DFW Area

I have been bicycling in the area for the past 6-7 months and here are pictures of some of the trails I have hit in this time. My favorite trail continues to be the Chisolm trail in Plano which flanks a creek and has the best scenery and minimum road intersections. Another trail I like is the Blue Bonnet trail because of its convenient location adjacent to our apartment. Take a look at the pictures and decide for yourself. In Irving I like the Campion trail which runs alongside the Elm fork of Trinity river. I haven't biked on this trail since a long time, hope I will hit the trail again soon.
Blue Bonnet Trail, Plano


Campion Trail, Irving



Arbor Hills, Plano

Trash on Trail

The tower in Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Plano, one of my favorite places to hike, bicycle, or simply walk amidst nature. I haven't visited this nature preserve in quite sometime... perhaps 6 months or so. Last time I was there I noticed tons of trash around the creek and the hiking trails. I thought I'd post these pictures on my blog to make people aware how much trash is being mindlessly discarded in public spaces. If this trend continues there will be no pristine natural place where one could spend a quiet moment. I wish people would be more careful about the way they discard their trash. There are enough trash cans and recycle bins in the nature preserve, one just needs to have some patience to carry the coke cans, plastic wrappers, and other trash to them.
The picture below is how the nature preserve looks during a fall sunset. Let us ensure that it is kept this way and not full of plastic and other trash that is seen in the pictures above. If you have any feedback or opinions on this do let me know!!!