Look Who Visited

(Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com)
Some long-eared owls sit in a live oak tree in our yard in Frisco on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

DFW Paddle: White Rock Lake

video by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com

We take a DFW Paddle 8.3 miles around the entire shoreline of White Rock Lake from White Rock Creek near East Lawther and Scout Hill in Dallas on Sunday August 3, 2014. This is the second video in the DFW Paddle series.
Please also see: DFW Paddle: White Rock Creek and White Rock Creek Critters

Frisco Starfest

Linda Fields of Frisco looks at the moon through a telescope while the Jindal family prepares for their turn during the Texas Astronomical Society's free Starfest star-gazing party at Frisco Commons Park in Frisco on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014. Starfest events take place on the second Saturday of each month.

photos © Mark M. Hancock andThe Dallas Morning News

Visitors view the cosmos during the Texas Astronomical Society's free Starfest star-gazing party at Frisco Commons Park in Frisco on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014. Starfest events take place on the second Saturday of each month.

Please see the YouTube slideshow with an original music composition.

DFW Paddle - White Rock Creek

video by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com

We take our first DFW Paddle 1.7 miles up White Rock Creek from the White Rock Lake near East Lawther and Scout Hill in Dallas on Sunday, July 6, 2014. Since the Speedpaddle didn't work for many, this is a regular-speed tour of the creek. I think it's a better compromise and will be easier to film in the future because I'll know to glide at times.
Please also see: DFW Paddle: White Rock Lake and White Rock Creek Critters

White Rock Creek Critters

video by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com

I mounted the GoPro on my kayak's bow and intended to make a "speed paddle" video at White Rock Creek in Dallas on Sunday, June 29, 2014. Unfortunately, at 8X speed, the paddle motion of the kayak would make some people ill. So, here are some of the critters I saw along the way. We'll try the speed paddle another weekend with a head mount. Watch for the snapping turtle. It was huge. Compare the size of it's head to the size of the shopping cart it's hiding near. I tested my GoPro Hero3 with iMovie. They've changed the program considerably since the last time I used it.
Please also see: DFW Paddle: White Rock Lake and DFW Paddle: White Rock Creek

Lunch with the Neighbors

video by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com

I gave some apples to our neighbors (a pair of donkeys) in Frisco on Saturday, June 29, 2014. I tested my GoPro Hero3 with iMovie. They've changed the program considerably since the last time I used it.

Dallas Zoo under new ownership

Boudreaux, a nine-foot-long albino American alligator, comes into the light in the Ghosts from the Bayou exhibit at the Dallas Zoo in Dallas on Sunday, May 30, 2010.


Photos and music © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com


The Dallas Zoo was recently transferred from city ownership to private ownership in Dallas on Sunday, May 30, 2010.

Named in this slideshow are: Parrots, black-and-white ruffled lemur, ring-tailed lemur, collared lemur, blue and yellow macaw, great egrets, flamingos, golden lion tamarin, cotton-top tamarin, spectacled langur monkeys, Sumatran tiger, red kangaroo, Harpy eagle, bald eagle, Andean condor, red-crowned crane, tortoise, great anteater, rhino iguana, Oustalet's chameleon, veiled chameleon, Caiman lizard, Perentie monitor lizard, Fayrouz Hancock, albino American alligators, Mexican bearded lizard, Cape cobra, crocodile monitor lizard, Burmese python, collared lizards, timber rattlesnake, Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake, sailfin lizard, Asian yellow-spotted climbing toad, blue poison dart frogs, mandrill, African elephants, warthog, ostriches, giraffes, cheetahs and Boudreaux, a nine-foot-long albino American alligator.

Corpus Christi Shoreline Blvd.

Photos & music © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

A vendor awaits customer during the Buc Days carnival in Corpus Christi on Sunday, April 25, 2010.


Activities happen from sunrise past sunset along Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi during the annual Texas International Boat Show and Buc Days Festival.

Texas State Aquarium

An Atlantic bottlenose dolphin swims at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi on Sunday, April 25, 2010.


Photos & video © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com
"Vida De Parranda" © Tekumbe / tekumbe.com

 

Featured in this video slideshow are: Fayrouz Hancock, Hans the tiger shark, sea turtles, a flounder, seahorses, a slipper lobster, a toadfish, a striped burrfish, an alligator, roseate spoonbills, egrets, a hawk-headed parrot, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, an arawana fish, piranhas, a French angelfish, a stingray, a great barracuda, an Atlantic sea nettle, a comb jellyfish, a northern sea nettle, moon jellies, Pacific sea nettles, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and North American river otters.

Butterfly House

Photos & music © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

A tiger butterfly rests at Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium at Fair Park in Dallas on Sept. 26, 2009.

Butterflies frollic at Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium at Fair Park in Dallas.

Epic Roadtrip Recap

For optimal viewing/sound, please pause play to allow the slideshow to buffer some information before resuming play.


photos Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com 
music "Campesina" © Tekumbe / Tekumbe.com

See a larger version of this slideshow.

We toured Texas during the week of July 15 to 22, 2010.

We logged about 1,100 miles inside Texas during a five-day roadtrip. We drove a triangle from Dallas to San Antonio to Houston and back.

To see more of what she saw, please follow the links below.

In one week we hit these cities:
Addison - dinner at Magic Time Machine served by the Mad Hatter
Dallas – Dallas World Aquarium, Sixth Floor Museum (JFK), West End Marketplace
Mesquite – Mesquite Championship Rodeo along with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink BBQ
Waco – lunch at Collin Street Bakery
San Marcos – Wonder World caverns (a waste of time)
San Antonio – Sea World, The Alamo, walked and took a river barge tour on The Riverwalk, Mexican dinner on the river and late-night burgers at the Hard Rock Café, San Fernando Cathedral and plaza
Schulenburg – lunch and fresh cinnamon-glazed pecans for the road
Galveston – Moody Gardens Aquarium, dinner at the Rainforest Café, drove along the seawall, coffee on The Strand with a dear friend
Clear Lake – toured and dined at NASA's Space Center Houston
Kemah – dinner and shopping on the Kemah boardwalk
Plano – shopped at Willow Bend Mall, several meals

Independence Day Children's Parade

Strollers, bikers, carters, wagoneers and walkers begin the Independence Day Children's Parade on Timber Creek Road on July 3, 2010 in Flower Mound.


photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News


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Strollers, bikers, carters, wagoneers and walkers begin the Independence Day Children's Parade on Timber Creek Road in Flower Mound.

Also named in this slideshow are:   Skylar Witte, Linley Phillips, Maggie Phillips, Amelia Ryan, Thomas Ryan, Aiden Morris, Genevieve Robins, Schadle Landry, Alex Alexandrov, Pat Alexandrov, Justin Alexandrov, Yohanna Garcia, Claire Henderson, Lindsay Henderson, Josh Bennett, Ella Bennett and Eve Bennett.

Texas Horse Park Trail Ride

Loyd St. John of Ovilla holds on as Candy, a 10-year-old Silver Chocolate Rocky Mountain, rears at a backing obstacle during a trail ride to break a world record at the Texas Horse Park in Dallas on June 13, 2010.


photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News


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Horses and riders participate in a trail ride to break a world record at the Texas Horse Park in Dallas. More than 60 horses and riders traversed a six-mile obstacle course to help break the record for the most simultaneous rider teams in one country.

Also named in this slideshow are: &nbsp Diana Williford, Cody Hampton, Suzanne Creel, Mary B. Rhoades, Marianne Marsden, Margo McClinton, Jennifer Robinson, Loyd St. John, Kevin Woods, J. Williams, Sylvia Harmon, Gary Patrick, Mark Limsky, Judy Limsky and Dallas Police Department Sr. Cpl. Dale Baugh.

Epic Roadtrip - SeaWorld San Antonio

photos © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

Takara and her calf Sakari perform during "Shamu Rocks" at SeaWorld San Antonio on Sunday, July 18, 2010.


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Marine mammals perform at SeaWorld San Antonio on Sunday, July 18, 2010.

The marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park is located in Westover Hills. It is the largest of the three SeaWorld parks and the world's largest marine-life theme park.

Animals included in this slideshow: killer whales (Takara, Sakari [Takara's calf], Kyuquot, Keet, Unna, and Tuar), beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, California sea lions and a walrus. Shows included in this slideshow: "Believe," "Azul," "Sea Lions Tonight" and "Shamu Rocks." Areas included in this slideshow: Shamu Stadium, Seal and Sea Lion Stadium, Beluga Stadium and an aviary Habitat.

Epic Roadtrip - Wonder World

photos © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

Deer rest in the shade of a hot summer afternoon at Wonder World Park in San Marcus on Saturday, July 17, 2010.


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Fayrouz Hancock visits Wonder World Park in San Marcus during the Epic Roadtrip Across Texas on Saturday, July 17, 2010.

The tour includes a walk through a natural cave, a view of the Balcones Fault Line from atop the Tejas Observation Tower, the Anti-Gravity House and a tram ride through a private exoctic animal wildlife park.

It was our first time to visit this place. I doubt I'll ever go there again. It wasn't a negative experience. However, it was not worth our time. I heard (afterward) that nearby Natural Bridge Caverns and/or Inner Space Caverns are both better.

Epic Roadtrip - Mesquite Championship Rodeo

photos © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

A saddle-bronc rider tries to stay up for the full eight during the Mesquite Championship Rodeo on Friday, July 16, 2010.


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Fayrouz Hancock attends the Mesquite Championship Rodeo on Friday, July 16, 2010.

We logged about 1,100 miles inside Texas during a five-day roadtrip. We drove a triangle from Dallas to San Antonio to Houston and back. The miles we drove have the following one-way approximate equivalencies:

Portland, ME -- Savannah, GA
New York City, NY -- Birmingham, AL
Tijuana, Mexico -- Cheyenne, WY
Vancouver, Canada -- Fresno, CA
Paris, France -- Kaliningrad, Russia
Milwaukee, WI -- Dallas, TX

In one week we hit these cities:
Addison - dinner at Magic Time Machine served by the Mad Hatter
Dallas – Dallas World Aquarium, Sixth Floor Museum (JFK), West End Marketplace
Mesquite – Mesquite Championship Rodeo along with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink BBQ
Waco – lunch at Collin Street Bakery
San Marcos – Wonder World caverns (a waste of time)
San Antonio – Sea World, The Alamo, walked and took a river barge tour on The Riverwalk, Mexican dinner on the river and late-night burgers at the Hard Rock Café, San Fernando Cathedral and plaza
Schulenburg – lunch and fresh cinnamon-glazed pecans for the road
Galveston – Moody Gardens Aquarium, dinner at the Rainforest Café, drove along the seawall, coffee on The Strand with a dear friend
Clear Lake – toured and dined at NASA's Space Center Houston
Kemah – dinner and shopping on the Kemah boardwalk
Plano – shopped at Willow Bend Mall, several meals

Epic Roadtrip - Dallas World Aquarium

A dancer with Grupo Pakal Mayan performs a ritual dance with a Scarlet macaw and rainstick at the Dallas World Aquarium in Downtown Dallas' West End on Friday, July 16, 2010.


photos © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com



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Fayrouz Hancock visits the Dallas World Aquarium in Downtown Dallas' West End on Friday, July 16, 2010.

The Dallas World Aquarium also features live Netcams for the Leafy Dragons and the manatees.

This slideshow features treks through the aquarium's various exhibits including: The Aquarium, Wilds of Borneo, Orinoco - Secrets of the River, South Africa exhibit with the seasonal Madagascar display and the Mundo Maya exhibit with a 40-foot tunnel through a Cenote.

Also featured in this slideshow are: Grupo Pakal Mayan (Mayan dancers), tamarins, crocodiles, turtles, manatees, catfish, anemones, sea dragons, regal tangs (Dory), moorish idols (Gill), sharks, hammerhead sharks, stingrays, sawfish, a jaguar, Scarlet macaws and flamingos among various other fish.

Cottonwood Art Festival Spring 2010

Please also check out Fayrouz's series.


photos © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

Colorful signs and activities entertain children at the Artstop during the Cottonwood Art Festival at Cottonwood Park in Richardson on May 1, 2010.


Fayrouz Hancock returns to her shoot after capturing duck images during the Cottonwood Art Festival at Cottonwood Park.




The avian residents of the park remain relaxed during the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson. The festivals are held during the first full weekends of May and October each year.


Siena, 7, (right) licks Sophie, 4, (left) during the Cottonwood Art Festival at Cottonwood Park in Richardson. Both are Pomeranians owned by Jay and Donna Riha of Plano. The Cottonwood Art Festival is very "dog friendly" and features frequent water stops throughout the park.


Chloe, a 9-month-old designer "Schnorkipoo," (left) and Katie, a 13-year-old designer "Shipoo," (right) owned by Carlos and Patricia Flores of Plano ride through the Cottonwood Art Festival in a special stroller in Richardson.


Kinetic Sculptures by Andrew Carson of Seattle, Wash. move in the wind during the Cottonwood Art Festival at Cottonwood Park in Richardson.


The tools of artist Jean Joseph Monfort of Los Angeles await use in a box during the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson.


Haitian-born artist Jean Joseph Monfort of Los Angeles paints during the Cottonwood Art Festival at Cottonwood Park in Richardson.

The Cottonwood Art Festival is special to Fayrouz and I for a number of reasons. Both of us enjoy being surrounded by art and artists. I also won First Place for Best Feature Photo Story or Series at the Suburban Newspapers of America in 2001 for this series.

Most importantly, it's next to the Justice of the Peace's office where we were first married. So, our first wedding photos were at this park. :-)



Fayrouz Hancock (right) photographs artist Jean Joseph Monfort (left) at the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson.

Because I've shot this event many times for publication and didn't have a client for these shots, mine are somewhat random (I went to spend time with Fay and the food). However, check out Fayrouz's series because she worked it hard.

Dallas World Aquarium

A red howler monkey stretches against a tree at The Dallas World Aquarium in Downtown Dallas' West End on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009.


photos © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com

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Fayrouz and I went toured the world without leaving the city at The Dallas World Aquarium. I have a field guide for the animals and will identify most of the animals soon. Please also see Fayrouz's take.

Named in this slideshow are: TK.
.

Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks

photos © Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News

Titus, a 4-year-old harlequin great dane owned by Larry Aparicio of Richardson, investigates the environment at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas on Saturday, July 18, 2009.


Dogs play at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas. The nation's only private indoor dog park will soon be featured on the CBS Evening News.


Henri, a 10-month-old French Bulldog owned by Clay Likover of Dallas, (bottom) tries to outrun Dakota, a 6-year-old English Labrador retriever owned by James Stapleton of Garland, (top) at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks.


Dogs play in the two runways at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas. Larger and more energetic dogs run in the big "Bodyslammer Park" on the left while smaller and gentler dogs visit in "Powderpuff Park" on the right.


Owners watch as their dogs play at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks.


Harley, a year-old Australian Shepherd, jumps for a ball thrown by her owner and Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks employee Emilie Williams at the park.



Romeo, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel owned by Liz McElroy of Dallas, (bottom) stands to sniff the foot of another dog at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks.



Trapper, a 10-year-old pomeranian, rests after a romp at Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks in Dallas. Trapper is now owned by Peggy Sinclair of Dallas, but was previously owned by a Manhattan resident killed during the 9/11 attacks.



Please read, "Dogs and owners find shelter from the swelter at nation's first indoor park" by Steve Blow / The Dallas Morning News