Love birds

Each of the past three years, the same pair of barred owls, left, has delivered babies to a nest near White Rock Lake. Semi-retired Advocate photographer Robert Bunch has religiously been on hand to document the blessed events. The first year, Bunch says, he was one of few witnesses to the nesting owlets. But by this past spring, the feathered family had developed a bit of a “fan base.”

Dozens of lake-goers and photographers turned out this year to see the nest near Poppy and East Lawther. “The adult owls lay eggs in the fall, they hatch in the late winter or early spring,” Bunch explains. “The babies hang around the nest at first, then when they start learning to fly, they can be seen around the Casa Linda neighborhoods and nearby.”

—Christina Hughes Babb

Shots in the street

Although he lacks professional training, East Dallas street photographer Richard Hill has an eye for capturing the moment.

He is never without his Fujifilm X100S, ready to catch a passing exchange or an intriguing character or a colorful scene.

He freely shares his best work on the social media app Instagram, under the handle @rballantine.

“I love being able to photograph in East Dallas, or wherever I am,” he says. “I don’t feel like I have to be in New York City or Los Angeles or anything like that. It’s all happening right here right now. I just want my little perspective to be out there.”

Although he’s been taking photos as a hobby for much of his life, he only began doing street photography about three years ago.

“At some point just taking pictures of my family, although those are beautiful moments, they just weren’t dangerous enough,” he explains. “So I stopped taking pictures of statues and sunsets and flowers and I went to the streets.”

Here’s a small sampling of photos he’s shot while exploring East Dallas or downtown.

—Brittany Nunn

Above/ “This is a downtown street preacher,” Hill explains. “I love his coat. I know it’s supposed to read, ‘Fear God, Jesus Saves,’ but I title the image ‘Fear Jesus.’ There are multiple paradoxes on display here. I also like the guy next to him unapologetically clutching a 40 oz.” Above right/ “The Smoking Lounge

I think this one speaks for itself,” Hill says. “Taken at the Greyhound Bus Station downtown. Right/ “What a great lady, huh?” Hill says. “This is a very early candid shot. It was my favorite image for a long time. Taken at the Dairyette [in East Dallas], where else?”: Photos by Richard Hill

A way with words

The former graphic designer whips up his own word designs before plastering them on everything from t-shirts to beer koozies that are sold at his shop Bullzerk, which opened on Lowest Greenville in February.

While it wasn’t his original intent, Bradley says the store has become “a gift shop for locals.”

“I didn’t think it’d turn into a gift store, but it has,” he says, “but then people who come in to buy something for someone else always end up buying something for themselves too.”

Although he got the ball rolling, he refuses to take all the credit for all of the quippy slogans. The t-shirt sayings are the work of his entire team. Here’s what Bradley and store manager Jason Lising have to say about some of our favorite East Dallas tshirts:

I lived on Greenville before it was cool

“I made that because Greenville is full of hipsters who are always protecting their ‘hood,” Bradley says. “They’re like, ‘I’m not a tourist. This is my block. Don’t turn over my ‘hood.’ ”

Lakewood: Home of the original dad bod

“Because everybody who lives in Lakewood has tattoos, drinks Starbucks and has a dad bod,” Bradley quips.

Lowest Greenville: New look. Same great neighborhood. (Designed to look like the Coca-Cola logo) — “I wanted to do something that represented Lowest Greenville, not just Greenville,” Lising explains. “I decided to do that because the neighborhood was changing and looking better, but it was the same core neighborhood. I saw Coke cans that said, ‘We changed our look but it’s the same great flavor,’ and I thought it was the same thing here with the neighborhood.”

M Streets: Brings all the boys to the yard

“Because everybody wants to live in the M Streets,” Bradley says.

· EAST DAL (Designed like a stencil cutout)

“That one was a request from a costumer,” Lising says. “There’s not really an idea behind it at all. I think it’s supposed to look like our ‘Defend Dallas’ design, but for East Dallas.” Brittany Nunn

FOR MORE, go to bullzerk.myshopify.com

Float on

Dallas United Crew, the nonprofit that is building a boathouse on the east shore of White Rock Lake, is making good on a promise to serve wounded veterans and adaptive rowers. With help from other groups, DUC coordinated the 2015 National Veterans Wheelchair Games’ (NVWG) rowing exhibition, which attracted approximately 70 military vets from around the country.

Before its approval by the city council in 2011, critics of the DUC’s forthcoming boathouse argued the club and its facilities would serve only wealthy crew team members and not benefit the greater community. At a public meeting in 2011, DUC coach Jonathan Stevens promised to be something more. In addition to its core student team members from 20-plus Dallas area schools, DUC would focus on scholarship programs for lower-income kids, summer camps, learn-torow days and partnering with programs for disabled veterans and kids, he said.

As architects drew boathouse plans, DUC members initiated talks with the Veterans

Administration and Paralyzed Veterans of America to learn how they might create an inviting environment for veterans and adaptive rowers.

Meanwhile, Dallas was named the site of the 2015 NVWG, and, because of its outreach, DUC was invited to host the adaptive rowing event, something NVWG was trying for the first time.

DUC’s boathouse is still in the planning stages, so the event took place near the existing boathouse on the west side of White Rock Lake — many groups including the Veterans Administration, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, US Rowing, Row America Hamilton, White Rock Rowing and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department collaborated and saw a larger-than-expected turnout.

DUC provided specialists to assist those who had never tried adaptive rowing, which differs significantly from the able-bodied version, representative Donna Swanson notes. Techniques vary depending on what part of the body is restricted.

“In adaptive rowing, everyone’s situation is unique,” Swanson explains. “For the wheelchair veterans and other adaptive rowers, we use standard rowing equipment that is adapted for the special needs of the rower. We have several experts here to help the veterans find the right fit so that they can have the best experience.”

She adds that DUC did everything possible to include a wide range of participants.

“So for some that meant indoor rowing, others were able to get out on the barge and a few others of a higher skill level were able to get out in double and singles,” she says. “It was phenomenal. They loved it. I’ve never seen so many smiles on the faces of people coming off the water.” —Christina Hughes Babb

SEE MORE PHOTOS lakewood.advocatemag.com

Bailey and Bonnie are Boston terriers that never go anywhere without each other and make friends everywhere they go. The pair loves to swim and hang out on the local patios of East Dallas, and they are looking forward to riding in the get-away car when their humans, Annie Mullins and Tristian Fernandez, get married this fall.

Don’t be deceived by the way 7-year-old golden retriever Mattie is sticking out her tongue; she’s a great dog, say owners Heather McRea and Terry Lovell Mattie, a rescue from Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas, lounges among the cypress knobs at White Rock Lake.