Jacob Martella

@jacobmartella

Web Developer working for UNTHSC. Also do freelance web development development work as well.

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Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· 10d

Good morning from this morning’s run!

A vibrant orange sunset over a tranquil pond. The bright sun is low on the horizon, casting a glittering, golden reflection across the gently rippling water. In the center distance, a water fountain sprays upwards. The far bank of the pond is lined with a dark silhouette of various trees, and grassy banks border the water in the foreground.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· 12d

Oh the things you see on your morning run.

A person flying a powered paraglider with an orange, yellow, and white canopy. They are soaring against a vast, cloudless blue sky, with the leafy tops of green trees visible in the bottom corners of the frame.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· 23d

Welp. We've officially hit the point in the year where I start to question my life choices, namely why the hell I still live here.

Color-coded heat map of North Texas showing apparent temperature (heat index) readings at 12:45 PM on July 22, 2026, covering a wider area from Eastland and Cisco in the west to Tyler and Athens in the east. Readings have climbed sharply from the 9:15 AM map, with most of the DFW metro core now at 112–117°F, including Dallas (117°F), Fort Worth (112°F), Allen (117°F), and McKinney (117°F). Western counties like Eastland and Cisco remain cooler in the low 100s. The map is shaded dark red to near-white in the hottest zones, indicating extreme, dangerous heat index values. Produced by WeatherFront using Mapbox.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· 23d

This is quite honestly ridiculous. And the first person to say human-made climate change isn't real is getting slapped. #txwx

Color-coded heat map of the Dallas–Fort Worth region showing apparent temperature (heat index) readings at 9:15 AM on July 22, 2026. Values range from the mid-90s°F in far western counties like Jacksboro and Palo Pinto to 105–106°F across the DFW metro core, including Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Garland, and Mesquite. The entire map is shaded orange to dark red, indicating dangerously high heat index readings even in the morning. Produced by WeatherFront using Mapbox.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jul 4

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Thirteen Monroe, LA ➡️ DFW, TX Finally home. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

View through a car windshield of an interstate approach to downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, with the tall Horseshoe Casino tower dominating the right side, a small downtown skyline in the distance, an "End Road Work" sign at left, and traffic ahead in the lane.

View up through green treetops at a large white water tower painted with big red-orange roses and green stems, lettered "Shreveport — Feel the Love," beneath a sky of bright cumulus clouds.

Wide sunset view over a Texas suburban neighborhood, with rooftops of two-story homes silhouetted along the horizon, a starburst of golden sun breaking between two houses, a quiet street with a single parked car and a lamppost, and wispy cirrus clouds streaking across a teal-blue sky.

View through a car windshield of the "Welcome to Texas — Drive Friendly — The Texas Way" state welcome sign beside the highway with a "Rest Area" blue sign at left and green trees framing the grassy median under a cloudy sky.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jul 3

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Twelve Chattanooga, TN ➡️ Huntsville, AL ➡️ Monroe, LA Stopped by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on our way back towards Texas. Almost home now. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Outdoor museum display of a Space Shuttle orbiter mounted atop a full external tank and solid rocket boosters, with a small Gulfstream jet visible at left and white event tents beneath a bright partly cloudy sky.

Wide view of the "Rocket Park" entrance sign with tall rockets — NASA Redstone, US Army missile, Redstone with escape tower, and a "United States" Mercury-Redstone — rising against a sky of scattered clouds.

Outdoor display of a Lunar Module (LM) descent stage on simulated moon-surface terrain with a small U.S. flag planted beside it, and the tall Saturn V "USA" rocket rising in the background beneath scattered clouds.

Interior view of the Davidson Center's Saturn V rocket exhibit showing the massive five F-1 engines and orange transition ring at the tail, with visitors on the floor beneath and the horizontally suspended rocket stretching down the hall.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jul 2

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Eleven Lancaster, PA ➡️ Chattanooga, TN Made significant progress driving back towards Texas crossing back across through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

View from a moving car of the long arched stone Rockville Bridge over the Susquehanna River with a Norfolk Southern freight train crossing on top, and forested ridges rising in the hazy blue distance.

View through a car windshield of the "Maryland Welcomes You — Leave No One Behind! — Wes Moore, Governor" state welcome sign beside the highway, with a silver SUV ahead and green trees lining the road.

View through a car windshield of the "Welcome to West Virginia — Wild and Wonderful — Patrick Morrisey Governor" sign at the interstate state line, with two Tyson and Wheaton semi trucks driving ahead and a "Berkeley County" sign at right.

View through a car windshield of the "Tennessee — The Volunteer State — Welcomes You" sign beside the interstate near the Kingsport/Bristol exit and Welcome Center ramp, with a silver sedan carrying a bike rack ahead in the lane.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jul 1

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Ten Hershey, PA/Harrisburg, PA Took the day to explore Hershey and then ended it with a minor league baseball game. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Elevated view across grass toward the historic Hershey factory with tall smokestacks, industrial silos, and Hersheypark rides in the distance, beneath a soft blue-and-gold sky.

Panoramic view from behind home plate of FNB Field during pre-game, with players warming up on the field, ground crew tending the infield, and the video board reading "FNB Field."

Action shot through the netting of a base runner in a red Senators uniform sliding into first base while a first baseman waits for the throw, umpire watching alongside, with the crowd behind.

Nighttime colorful firework starburst — pink, green, and orange rays radiating outward — above FNB Field, viewed through the outfield netting with the illuminated video board at right.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 30

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Nine Allentown, PA ➡️ Strasburg, PA ➡️ Lancaster, PA The return to Texas began in earnest as we moved as we traded the southern edge of the Pocono Mountains for the farmlands of south central Pennsylvania. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Black-and-white view from between two parallel rows of passenger coaches with locomotive #89 visible head-on in the distance, the silver water tank rising above the yard.

Black-and-white side view of Strasburg locomotive #89 with its "Canadian National" plate, headlight shining and steam wisps rising, parked beside the platform with overhead wires and a small white outbuilding behind.

Black-and-white view from inside the train of a wooden outbuilding with a small white shed in the foreground and the Strasburg train with its smoking locomotive crossing the field beyond.

Black-and-white close view of locomotive #89 venting heavy black smoke from its stack while parked beside an open-platform observation coach, with the engineer leaning out the cab window.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 29

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Eight Perkasie, PA Chill day after the family reunion before we make the trek back to Texas. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Wide view of a rural winery property with a tall white silo and barn at left, a vintage orange tow truck parked beside a covered wooden pavilion at center, parked cars and guests milling around, and a green vineyard stretching off to the right under a partly cloudy sky.

Warm interior shot of a rustic barn or winery loft featuring an antique cast-iron grape press with large flywheels, a wooden barrel below, a chicken figurine, and two cone-shaped red chili pepper decorations on a weathered wood beam.

Wide view of a young vineyard with neat rows of grapevines trained on trellis wires, dirt and grass aisles between rows, and a leafy tree line in the distance under a tall sky of puffy white clouds.

A solitary glider plane soars against a dramatic sky of towering cumulus clouds with patches of blue showing through.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 28

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Seven Quakertown, PA Now for the whole reason we’re on this road trip: the Ciarlo Family Reunion. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

View under the edge of a white event tent of a homemade banner reading "Ciarlo Family Reunion 1954 Today," strung up with string lights, with parked cars and grass visible beyond.

A small group of family members lean in around an older seated woman in a floral top, looking at something on the table together — an older man in a striped shirt with sunglasses on his head and a younger man with long hair watch.

Two barefoot young men play a bottle-bash yard game on a green lawn — one in a teal T-shirt and beige shorts mid-motion, the other in a white T-shirt and ball cap blocking with a green disc — with a lacrosse goal in the background.

Wide view of a busy family reunion inside a garage, with relatives standing and seated at long folding tables, an American flag and Italian flag hanging on the wall above tools and shelving.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 27

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Six Allentown, PA Finally a bit of a rest day just chilling around the Allentown area. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Side view of Wehr's Covered Bridge — an 1841 red wooden covered bridge with a clearance sign on its peaked entrance, stone abutments, and a stop sign at its far end, set against a backdrop of green trees and bright cloudy sky.

Two Canada geese stand on a stone outcrop at the edge of a small dam's spillway, with the calm green creek and lush trees beyond reflected in the water.

A tiered stone garden fountain spouts arcs of water in the foreground, with a small bronze garden sculpture, a koi pond, and lush green park trees behind it.

A landscaped park pond with stone-lined edges and a small bronze ballet-dancer sculpture standing on a tripod base in the water, framed by tall green trees.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 27

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Five Allentown, PA Finally a bit of a rest day just chilling around the Allentown area. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 26

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Five Williamsport ➡️ Scranton ➡️ Allentown Started the day visiting the home of the Little League World Series. Took a detour to see the UP 4014. Ended the day in Allentown and hearing the Boston Crusaders’ rehearsal. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

View from the upper rim of Howard J. Lamade Stadium looking down at the empty Little League diamond, manicured outfield, covered grandstand, and the famous grassy hillside seating area at right.

Black-and-white photo of Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive on display at the Steamtown roundhouse, with crowds gathered beside it and another locomotive visible behind, under a dramatic cloudy sky.

Black-and-white head-on view of Reading 2124 steam locomotive's smokebox at Steamtown, with its "Reading Lines" plate, large bright headlight, and a group of visitors at right.

Black-and-white view of Nickel Plate Road 759 steam locomotive in the dim interior of the Steamtown roundhouse, with an American flag mounted on its smokebox.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 25

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Four Altoona, PA Spent the day in one state for the first time this trip. Was fun exploring the Altoona area, including the Horseshoe Curve. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Wide view of the Horseshoe Curve reservoir with the famous curving railroad track sweeping along the right hillside, a long freight train just visible on the tracks above the trees.

Elevated view of the Horseshoe Curve reservoir and parking area, with a freight train winding along the curving tracks on the right ridge under a bright blue sky.

Side view of the Railroaders Memorial Museum yard with a restored Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric locomotive next to a covered platform and downtown Altoona buildings beyond, under a bright partly cloudy sky.

View from a moving car of a vast green Pennsylvania field with a small white farmhouse on a low rise at the right, beneath a bright blue sky with scattered cumulus clouds.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 24

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Three Shenandoah National Park, VA ➡️ Lewisburg, PA Started the day chasing a waterfall in the rain. Ended the day chasing sunshine across West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Full Photo Gallery Here: jacobmartella.me/pho...

Dark Hollow Falls cascading over moss-covered rocks in a sun-dappled green forest, with silky white water spilling into a shallow brown pool in the foreground.

A hooded person stands at the base of a tall, lush waterfall, photographing it on their phone amid towering green trees and moss-covered boulders.

View through a car windshield of a two-lane country road winding through forested hills toward distant ridges, with a white pickup truck ahead and a hand on the steering wheel.

View through a car windshield down a straight Pennsylvania country road, past farm fields and tall grain silos toward a long ridge of forested mountains under a bright blue sky with puffy white clouds.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 23

Appalachian Road Trip: Day Two Knoxville, TN ➡️ Shenandoah National Park, VA Welp. Took a day and a half for things to go off the rails for us. Heavy rain brought power outages and a change of plans for housing inside the park. Full Photo Gallery: jacobmartella.me/pho...

View through a car windshield of a white "Welcome to Virginia — Virginia is for Lovers" sign with a red heart, alongside blue highway signs for the Virginia Welcome Center, with green ridges and a transmission tower nearby.

Layered Blue Ridge Mountain ranges fading into a hazy distance, with dense forest in the foreground under a softly overcast sky.

A deer caught mid-stride crossing a misty, rain-slicked mountain road at dusk, seen through a car windshield with dim forest on either side.

A bird soars across a moody, cloud-streaked sky above a dim Shenandoah Valley landscape, with low mist hugging the distant ridges and a thin band of golden light near the horizon.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jun 22

Appalachian Road Trip: Day One DFW, TX ➡️ Knoxville, TN Roughly 14 hours on the road to start the trip. Why are we doing this, again? Full Photo Gallery: jacobmartella.me/pho...

View from inside a vehicle crossing the steel-arched Hernando de Soto Bridge, with a "Welcome to Tennessee, The Volunteer State" banner hanging from the trusses ahead.

A large mosaic-tiled egg sculpture decorated with "Memphis" lettering and colorful tile patterns, displayed on a pedestal beside a downtown street with parked cars in the background.

View through a car windshield of an interstate winding between forested hillsides at dusk, with a few vehicles ahead, a "Caney Fork River" sign on the right, and a soft yellow-pink sky.

Rolling Tennessee countryside at sunset, with a farm, silo, and round hay bales nestled against tree-covered hills under a soft pastel sky, taken from a moving car.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Feb 16

A little something I've been working on recently. Completely different from what I normally do. Video talking about it a bit more will be out on Friday. #DevTools #Apps #BuildInPublic

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jan 25

Thankfully it looks like the power grid will hold this time around. *furiously knocks on the nearest piece of wood* This winter storm is no joke! #txwx

A high-angle view of a suburban neighborhood completely blanketed in bright white snow under a sunny blue sky with scattered white clouds. Unlike the previous image, the road is fully covered and indistinguishable from the lawns, creating a seamless field of white. Long, dark shadows stretch across the snow, cast by the large beige brick houses and bare trees.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Jan 24

Woke up to a good bit of sleet on the ground. Looks like we’ve missed most of the freezing rain that was predicted, so that’s good news. Hoping the sleet turns into snow, but that might be wishful thinking. #txwx

A high-angle view of a quiet suburban neighborhood street covered in a light dusting of snow and ice. Rows of large, modern brick houses line the curved street under a gloomy, overcast gray sky. The roofs and lawns are frosted white, and bare trees indicate it is winter. The road appears slick, and a single black streetlamp stands near a driveway holding a white car.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Dec 24

No matter what you celebrate, I hope y'all all have a wonderful and restful holiday season!

In a dimly lit room, a Christmas tree decorated with multi-colored, glowing lights stands at the center, casting a soft glow on the surrounding area. A white tree skirt is at its base. To the left, a dark table holds a few small, flickering lights, and in the background, the outline of a lamp and framed pictures are visible on a wall. Behind the tree, a window covered by blinds is partially illuminated by the purple and blue lights.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Nov 11

It's a band kind of night. UIL 5A state championship prelims on the TV and UNT Symphonic and Concert Bands on the laptop. #txbands

A laptop in a dark room displays a YouTube video of a full orchestra, the "Symphonic Winds and Concert Winds," performing on a wooden stage in an auditorium. In the background, a television is also on, showing a marching band competition on a bright green field.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Nov 1

Go Mean Green!

A high-angle, wide shot of a college football stadium showing a marching band and performers in green uniforms on the field. A large plume of white smoke, likely from pyrotechnics, billows up from the right side of the field as spectators watch from the stands under an overcast sky.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Oct 20

Welp. Someone’s having an extremely bad Monday. (As far as I could see, no one was hurt and I don’t think it had spread to the building yet.)

A white van is engulfed in flames and thick black smoke in the parking lot of a modern brick and siding apartment building. The fire is concentrated on the front half of the van, with bright orange and yellow flames visible. Dark smoke billows upwards, obscuring the side of the apartment building and a small tree. The apartment building has multiple floors, dark window coverings, and balconies. Other parked cars are visible further down the parking lot, and a "SPEED LIMIT 5" sign stands near the burning van. The sky is clear and blue.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Oct 17

Well ... at least the sunset was pretty today. #txwx

An elevated view of a quiet suburban neighborhood at sunrise or sunset. The sky is filled with a brilliant display of orange and yellow clouds, while the houses and a curving street below are cast in shadow.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Sep 29

Been busy the last couple of weeks starting from scratch with Digital Shopfront CMS. Feels like it's been slow progress so far, but hoping now that a lot of heavy lifting in the backend is done, I can start to move quicker. The goal is to have it ready for a beta test by end of the year. #Laravel

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Sep 25

At the Commit Your Code Conference here locally in the DFW area for the next two days! Excited to be at my first non-WordPress tech conference! #CYC2025

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Sep 20

Went for a run this morning for the first time in a bit, and the view did not disappoint!

A serene sunrise over a calm lake in a suburban park. The bright orange sun is low on the horizon, partially obscured by a line of silhouetted trees on the far bank. The trees and golden sky are reflected in the smooth water, with a grassy lawn in the foreground.

Jacob Martella@jacobmartella· Sep 13

Such a great Friday night of #txhsfb action that it requires the triple screen setup!