The 16th May Day Morning With Air Pollution Alerts, Alligators & Questions About Olive The Missing Prairie Dog

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this  16th May Day morning it was dark enough to set off the camera's flash, but the sun was up enough to see that this 3rd Wednesday of May is, so far, a totally clear blue sky day in North Texas.

A clear blue sky currently chilled to 63 degrees, heading to a high of 87, with the weather warners warning that the pollution in the air warrants and "Air Quality Alert."

At this point in time the quality of the air is not so bad that I have shut my windows.

This morning I had an email from one of my favorite Southern Belles, asking me if Olive the Missing Prairie Dog was "without a leash or collar?"

I know Olive was not wearing her collar when she went missing. Without a collar, I suspect no leash.

I hope the Olive the Missing Prairie Dog search team put one of her missing posters on the fence at Fort Woof in Gateway Park, a location that attracts a lot of dog lovers.

Changing the subject to something less lovable.

Trinity River Alligator Corpse

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I'd seen a disturbing gator picture on the WFAA's Facebook page. I had not.

Apparently the murder of an 11-foot 3-inch alligator is being investigated by the authorities who investigate such things.

The alligator was found by game wardens in the Trinity River at a location between Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth.

The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is between Eagle Mountain Lake and Fort Worth. There are signs in the Nature Center warning visitors to be cautious about alligators.

I know there have been many reports of alligators in Lake Worth. How do the gators get past Lake Worth Dam to get into the lake? On their trip upriver do the gators get out of the river when they come to the dam and walk around it? I've hiked in that location. It'd take a lot of effort, I would think, for a gator to get around that dam.

With this latest alligator incident I am really going to have to re-consider Elsie Hotpepper and me floating in the upcoming Rockin' the River With Alligators Happy Hour.