Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Just Another Spring Tuesday In Texas With Record Breaking Temperatures, Wildfires and Power Blackouts

In the picture you are looking at a hazy view of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, from the Tandy Hills, today around noon.

I suspect the haziness is due to the huge wildfires burning to the west of Fort Worth, in the Lake Possum Kingdom zone. Dozens of homes have been destroyed. An area the size of Rhode Island is currently under flame in Texas.

We are heading to a record breaking temperature of 95 today. Currently it is 1 degree shy of the record.

It is very humid. The heat and the humidity turned the hiking today into a sauna steam bath.

It is now an hour later after typing "sauna steam bath." The power went out. Are we having rolling blackouts due to record breaking temperatures for this date?

It is only April 19. I think we are heading towards a super HOT summer in Texas. Currently I am not remembering how it is I can tolerate being out in it when the HEAT goes well over a 100. I am remembering why it is, if I fly up to Seattle in July or August, I'm a shivering mess pretty much the entire time I'm there.

Currently, as you can see, it is 94, with the humidity making it feel like 96. How is it one determines the temperature feels like a certain temperature, I can't help but wonder?

Today on the Tandy Hills is the third day in a row that, what I believe to be sewer water, is running through a Tandy Hills Creek. The water flows at a steady rate, but has still not reached Tandy Falls. The malodorousness of the Tandy Hills Sewer Creek was a bit amped up today. I assume due to the elevated temperature.

The only new wildflower color on the hills that I saw today was the solo pink tulip-like buttercup bloom you see in the picture.

I think I need to take an anti-histamine pill for the second time during this itchy eyes bout, which may be brought to me courtesy of wildfire smoke.

I went swimming again, during the blackout. But I did not enjoy lounging in the HOT sun for more than a couple minutes after I got out of the pool.

Miss Puerto Rico returns tomorrow, likely after midnight. I am under instructions not to turn the A/C on unless it goes over 100.

I see I have some Elsie Hotpepper incoming. I must brace myself and see what that's about.
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1 comment:

  1. StenotrophomonasApril 19, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    It's definitely sewage, probably some overflow or diversion from some sewer pipe projects going on around the area.
    It was almost too hot in the Hills this afternoon, close to overheating. Someone did overheat, near what I believe is Sunglass Ridge (I called it Heartbreak Hill last July). As you near the top, going southeast, about 50 feet from the fork to the right, off to the left there is a discarded sweatjacket and an opened magazine whose pictures are not appropriate for workplace computers.
    This is trash I am unlikely to want to pick up.

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