Wacky Wednesday

 Ray and I headed to Dallas on Saturday....the ultimate goal was Maroon 5 concert that evening. Whee!  Meanwhile, we stopped for BBQ at Ferris Wheelers.  Damn tasty BBQ and unique setting. I took these pics after we ate indoors (it was too freakin' hot outside).

 I loved this one!

And our destination hotel - W at Victory Park.  Here's our view from the room - not shabby on the 5th floor.  I did not take a pic but the infinity pool on the 16th floor was way cool....filled with 20/30 somethings imbibing a great deal of alcohol.  All seating was reserved.  We stood around awkwardly, then got sodas. The young lady serving just said they were "on the house.". I'm calling it the Pity Pepsi...."please, 'old folks', take your free soda and go back to hide in your room."   It was funny!

Happy Wacky Wednesday.  Please let the rest of the week zoom by.....

Farmer's Market Adventure

 Something different on a Sunday - a jaunt to the Dallas Farmer's Market.  It's rather small, but definitely in a growth phase.

 old fashioned tractor

 view back to Dallas

It was off season on a Sunday - not much produce. We enjoyed breakfast tacos at a new taqueira. More restaurants are coming along with other touristy shops in The Market area.  Ray and I enjoyed our walk around the area and I would come back to try out new places.

One Day University

Need a break from the everyday? Like to learn new things but don’t want to commit to a full semester of classes? Want some enrichment without tests? Then One Day University is for you. I attended a session in early May and came home excited about new and old ideas. Various sessions expanded on today’s issues and offered a new dimension to current events. The professors were eager to teach to a full house (over 100 people in the ballroom. Most folks were age forty and up.  Comfy chairs provided at tables, along with a notebook and pen). In one hour they gave a mini-lecture on a subject and allowed time for some Q&A. There was no political agenda, and plenty of humor. Plus a very tasty lunch for purchase. Conversation and new friends were a bonus.  

Each session flew by, and as I left I’d chat with newfound friends. One lady came in for the weekend and took advantage of the Hyatt’s special rate of $99. She said, “I emerge from my Louisiana swampland and treat myself to some learning.” She was a hoot. This was her third year to attend.  

This was the May schedule:

Session 1    A. China, Russia, and India: the Rise of the Rest  Stephen Kotkin/Princeton University

                Or B.   The Future of Healthcare – Michael Sparer/Columbia University

 

Session 2:  A. Global Economy – Paul Bracken/Yale University  or B.  Abraham Lincoln: Fact from Fiction – Louis Masur/ Rutgers University 

Session 3:  A. Psychology of Money – Jeff Hancock/Cornell University or B. Darwin: What he Got Right and Wrong-Susan Lindee/ Univ. of PA 

Session 4:  A. Four Books Every Book Lover Should Read – Joseph Luzzi/Bard College  or B.  What we Know About the Universe- David Helfand/Columbia University 

Session 5:  A. Four Films That Changed America – Marc Lapadula/Yale University or  B. How to Listen to and Appreciate Great Music – Michael Alec Rose/ Vanderbilt University 

Whew – Tough choices but I went with  A, A, A, A, and finally B which was the best class of all. Professor Rose contrasted Beethoven, Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and tied it up with some Disco tunes.  

So consider attending One Day University in the fall. Make a weekend out of it.   Saturday, September 20, 2014  9:30 am  - 4:30 pm in the Arts District – Winspear Opera House and Dallas City Performance Hall.  Details at www.onedayu.com      Upcoming subjects include Brain Science, Foreign Affairs, Machiavelli (History), Gershwin, Intuition Psychology, and more.  

“I am still learning”   Michelangelo 

Enjoy!

Trinity River Audubon Center

Under 100 degrees in August in Dallas - the natives go crazy. It's time for adventure, so Ray and I headed to southeast Dallas to the Trinity River Audubon Center  www.trinityriveraudubon.org for a hike.

 We took advantage of the special Dollar Days admission and acquainted ourselves with the Trinity River Water Basin at the welcome center. They had interesting maps and displays concerning the flood plains and wildlife. Then we set off down the first path to the Trinity River vista. This forested canopy does not look like Dallas at all. Cool breeze, shade, and nature humming and buzzing around us.

 It's not the mighty Mississippi but the Trinity River keeps the Dallas/Fort Worth area and beyond in business.

 A teensy splash of color peeked out along the forested and prairie grass path. The variety of plants and greenery was astonishing. Someone reported they saw a copperhead snake earlier on a path - I'm fine with NOT running into that bad boy.

This little fellow was sunning himself on a bridge railing. As we passed he leaped to this frond. Ray was careful, inched closer, and snapped the pic. No autograph given. I can report we also saw a white heron and a blue heron soar over the ponds. All in all, the Trinity River Audubon Center was a delightful discovery on a "cool" (i.e. under 100 degrees) August day.

Perot Museum of Science and Nature - Dallas, TX

 The brand new Perot Museum of Nature and Science in downtown Dallas is fabulous. Hands-on interactive displays delight. Easy to read and understand signs guide you through categories of science and nature. Short videos give extra insight into the scientists who actually work on ground-breaking research. Dallas is now out of the dark dingy corner of Fair Park and into the light of the future. Perot and his team truly built a visionary dream, with plenty of room to grow.


First, admire the building. It's solid natural materials ground it, and then pieces jut into the sky as if daring us to believe we can learn. In the lobby, you are greeted by a 35 ft. long dinosaur. There are eleven permanent halls and a traveling exhibit hall. There is a Children's Museum designed for kids five and younger. The digital theater features 2D and 3D science movie experiences. Green features include a rainwater collection system, LED lighting, and solar powered water heating.

Start on Level 4 - the Expanding Universe Hall features a journey through the solar system. Also the Then and Now Hall has dinosauers - always a crowd favorite. Plus there is a special Hall of Birds.

 Level 3 - Check out a huge drill bit in the Energy Hall. Learn about oil and shale exploration and environmental issues. Then wander down the Gem and Minerals Hall - the huge amethyst is glistening purple. This display hall was beautiful as the gems and mineral colors gleamed.

Level 2 - Being Human shows slices of the human body, teaches us about molecular biology and genetics. Then the Engineering and Innovation Hall features robotics and new technologies being designed today. And the Discovering Life Hall features a Texas Blackland Prairie.

Level 1 - This is where you first entered. It hosts the theaters, a cafe, the museum shop, and a rooftop deck to view the Dallas Skyline.

Lower Level - Here kids can start their science adventures in the Children's Museum. Adults can have fun with science in the Sports Hall. Throw a football. Then check out your video against that of Roger Staubach. Somehow my toss was not as smooth. The study of sports science is growing as you learn how they measure the human body and its limits.



As you can tell, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is fun and enthralling for the whole family. Come explore today.


http://www.perotmuseum.org