Creating The Illusion Of Hiking The Tandy Hills In Texas While Possibly Being In Washington

90 degrees with 30% humidity when I hit the Tandy Hills today around noon.

I saw something today on Martel Avenue, on the way to the top of Mount Tandy, that I had not seen before.

Martel Avenue runs north and south on the east side of the Tandy Hills.

Today the Barnett Shale seismic testers were out in force on Martel Avenue. Complete with police protection.

And a lot of high tech equipment. Several trucks had generators running, at least that is what I assume was making the noise. Under the trucks were metal disks about 4 feet in diameter.

My co-hiker know-it-all informed me that those disks sent out a high frequency vibration into the underground formations, then other devices collected the info that bounced back.

There were more high tech seismic testing trucks on the road that leads to the top of Mount Tandy. Way too much activity going on in my usually peaceful sanatorium.

It has been days since we got as hot as 100 in my location. Currently it is only 93. Meanwhile, right now, up in my old location in Washington it is 61 degrees.

Speaking of Washington. I have gotten feedback from a few people who for some reason are assuming I am up in Washington right now.

It occurs to me that it would be easy to be up in Washington, right now, while creating the blogging illusion that I am still in Texas hiking the Tandy Hills.

If I were up in Washington, surreptitiously, right now, it would not be the first time. In August of 2001 I drove, solo, to Washington for my mom and dad's 50th Anniversary party. Mom and dad's anniversary is August 6, Hiroshima Day, the party was August 11, my birthday.

Only my two oldest nephews knew I was going to make it to mom and dad's 50th. If I remember right I took off for Washington on August 1, making it to Seattle on August 3.

I remember there had been a high school reunion a week prior to my departure. I've no memory of why I did not drive up a week earlier to attend that reunion.

My nephews kept the secret of me being in Washington. I arrived at the location of the anniversary party, my sister's house in Kent, a couple hours late. When I arrived at my sister's I called to make a happy anniversary call as I walked to my sister's front door. As I was talking to my mom, my dad suspected I was there and and opened the front door just as I rang the doorbell.

It was a special moment.

So, yeah, I guess I have a history of going north to Washington whilst creating the illusion I am in Texas.