A Slightly Smoggy Tandy Hills Hike With Jalapeno Cilantro Soup

In the picture we are looking west at the Tandy Wagon Train Trail, heading towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth, a couple miles in the distance.

As you can see there is a slight smoggy haze above the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

This morning when I checked the air quality, something I have been doing for a couple months now, ever since I had myself a really bad bout of allergy woes, the Ozone Level was Good. That was before the sun arrived this morning. Now, at a few minutes past two in the afternoon, the Ozone Level is no longer Good.

The Ozone Level is now Moderate. I guess that explains the smog that hovers above the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

I have also been monitoring the Pollen Index. Until this morning, since I have been monitoring it, the Pollen Index has been either Extreme, Very High or High. But, this morning the Pollen Index was Moderate for the first time. And now, at the current point in time, the Pollen Index has changed to Low.

I do not know if Low is better or worse than Moderate.

What I do know is currently it is warm in the outer world at my location. As in 84 degrees. Today was a shirtless hiking day on the Tandy Hills, with a return to the summer-like steambath sauna effect that I find so salubrious when I am getting my endorphin induction via aerobic stimulation.

Due to yesterday also getting warmed into the 80s and it being above 50 when the sun came up, this morning I had myself a long and pleasantly refreshing swim for the first time in a couple days, with the pool not being so cool as to cause a quick exit.

Changing the subject from the Tandy Hills and the quality of the air that I breathe to something else.

This morning I was looking through a book I recently acquired, that being Texas from Moon Handbooks. In the section about Big Bend Country I came upon the section about the town of Alpine where the Reata Restaurant was mentioned with the suggestion that one start off ones cowboy gourmet experience with the Jalapeno Cilantro Soup.

Jalapeno Cilantro Soup sounded good to me, so I Googled "Reata Jalapeno Cilantro Soup" and found the recipe from the Reata on a lot of websites.

I already have all of the ingredients, except for the jalapenos. The recipe calls for finely chopping 5 jalapenos.

The fumes from jalapenos can chase me from the kitchen when first gutted.

After the chopping process I have to be real careful to thoroughly wash the capsaicin from my hands. I have had a painful incident, or two, where I touch a delicate area without sufficient capsaicin removal, resulting in an extreme burning sensation.

I'll keep you posted as to how the Jalapeno Cilantro Soup project goes.

Saturday Morning With A Pool Half Empty, A Divorce From Skinny, A Horror Story From Carlotta & A Weird Email From A Cousin With Deep Fried Turkey

Looking out from my patio prison cell bars you'd think the pool was back full of water, due to looking blue again. You would be wrong. It is only about a third full. It will likely take til late Sunday to get full.

I don't think we got any of the predicted rain and lightning, yesterday, in my zone of Texas. We did get a lot of wind. Which blew down a tree across John T. White Road, which made an interesting return, last night, as I was heading west, back to here.

This morning I was shocked to see a message from "Skinny" in which he or she says he or she is divorcing me, due to my inability to learn the proper nomenclature for critter and flora sightings on the Tandy Hills. "Skinny" suggests I focus some attention on the best part of Texas. That being the Trans Pecos area of West Texas.

But I have already been all over Big Bend Country, to places like Terlingua and Marfa and Fort Davis and Alpine and Wink. I just have not gone there (too much) on this blog.

I heard from Carlotta Camano this morning, telling me a teacher horror story. I used to think teachers were paid sufficiently, what with that long summer vacation they get every year. For some time now I have changed my mind and think teachers are underpaid.

I also heard from one of my cousins and his wife this morning, via email. I'd not heard from them in a long time. I don't know what to make of this bizarre email.

Subject: URGENT HELP NEEDED!!! Mike & Karen Jones

Am so sorry that I didn't inform you about our trip,I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,I came down here to Wales,United Kingdom for a short vacation unfortunately I Was mugged at the park of the hotel where We Logged all cash,credit card and cell were stolen Away From us but luckily for me i still have my Life And passports with me

I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and my flight leaves in less than hours from now but having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the bills,I'm freaked out at the moment.

Thanks
Mike & Karen Jones

Are they trying to be funny? Is this some sort of Nigerian scam parody? I don't get it. This email was sent to multiple "undisclosed recipients."

Tonight I expect to be connected, via I-Phone Face Talk, or whatever it is called, to a virtual visit to the Trainwreck in Burlington, Washington. I await this virtual visit with eager anticipation.

Switching the subject to Thanksgiving. This is the time of year my Eyes on Texas website gets a lot of hits due to people looking for info about Deep Frying Turkey. A couple days ago a guy named Dave told me the method I described to measure the amount of oil needed was erroneous and could lead to a bad accident. Like a fire. I don't know where I got the original frying instructions. They seemed completely credible to me.

The sun has now totally lit up the place. But no swimming for me.

UPDATE: Above my memory failed me when I said we got none of yesterday's predicted rain and lightning yesterday in my zone of Texas. I forgot that around noon heavy rain thwarted my plan to go hiking on the Tandy Hills. I saw no lightning, though, and heard no thunder.