A Saturday With Dogs, Pomegranates, No Armadillos & Possible Incoming Snow

Fort Woof Dog Crossing

I did not see any armadillos whilst biking through Gateway Park, today, on my way to Town Talk, where I got the biggest pomegranates I have ever seen, giant grapefruit sized, for only 50 cent each.

The only critters I saw in Gateway Park, besides the usual humans, were squirrels and a lot of dogs having themselves a really fine time in Gateway Park's Fort Woof. 

I read  somewhere reliable that Fort Woof is one of the best, if not the best, dog park in the world.

Fort Woof does appear to be a well made facility.

Except there are no restroom facilities for either canines or humans. But, there are water dog faucets, which seems a very considerate touch.

Also very considerate is the fact that the small dogs are segregated from the big dogs. I assume this segregation is necessary due to the tendency of small dogs to suffer from small dog syndrome and thus bully their easier to get along with big dog counterparts.

Changing the subject from the dogs to the weather.

As you can see, at the time I went biking, this 2nd Saturday of the last month of 2012, clouds blocked direct access to warming solar  radiation.

The clouds have now been removed, for the most part, with the solar radiation currently heating my location to a relatively warm 66 degrees.

I have been going swimming after the sun goes down the past several days. That has been working out quite well. But, I think the swimming will temporarily come to an end in the next 48 hours, what with freezing temperatures and possible snow in the forecast.

My Whacking Stick Saves Me From A Vicious Tandy Hills Dog Attack

In the picture you are looking north, on top of Lost Sunglasses Ridge, on one of the Tandy Hills, today in the noon time frame.

Last year, at this point in time, the Tandy Hills were showing signs of stress to the vegetation, due to the Great North Texas Drought.

This year, at this point in time, the Tandy Hills are showing signs of a prairie being well provided with a sufficient supply of water.

It is getting to the point that there is some vegetative encroachment at some locations on the trails. I do not like vegetative encroachment. I've been avoiding the rain forest like zone one reaches on the north side of Tandy Falls, due to the claustrophobic tunnel-like effect of all the greenery.

Changing the subject from healthy vegetation to an unhealthy canine encounter.

One is supposed to keep ones dog on a leash whilst hiking the Tandy Hills.

Some people do not keep their dog leashed, due to the fact that their dog is well behaved, like Olive the Prairie Dog.

But some people let their dog off leash, even though they know the dog is not well-behaved.

Today, a semi-elderly gentleman was hiking the Tandy Hills with two dogs. Two un-leashed dogs. One of the dogs rushed at me in attack mode, with the semi-elderly gentleman trying to get the vicious dog to return to his control.

I am always armed with a whacking stick when I am out and about in the wild. As the dog took a lunge at me I gave it a sound whack with my whacking stick and it ceased its vicious attack.

When the dog ran back to the semi-elderly gentleman he put the vicious dog on a leash, and also leashed the non-attacking dog.

I can not imagine how a semi-elderly gentleman can feel okay about hiking in a place like this with a dog whose behavior is bad. What if I'd been a little kid the dog tried to attack?

I hope the whacking I gave the dog was sound enough to discourage it from any future vicious attack attempts.

Walking 6 Dogs With The Indian Ghosts At Village Creek Natural Historic Area Today

Photo Evidence That I Have Gained Winter Weight

I don't believe the outer world at my location has been heated above freezing at any point in time, so far, today.

It is currently 31 degrees. With a 15 mph wind still making it feel like 19 degrees, the same temperature the wind made the air feel like when the sun had barely arrived this morning.

I walked with the extremely cold Indian Ghosts at Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington today.

I was not alone walking with the extremely cold Indian Ghosts today, which sort of surprised me.

As you can see, via my reflection in the mirror that is strategically placed at a curve in the trail, so that nothing can surprise you, like a fast moving biker, or a ghost, I am in full anti-freeze garb. Multiple layers, including a wool cap covered by the hood of a hoody and the hood of a windbreaker on top of the hoody hood and the wool cap.

Lady Walking 6 Dogs

Even with all that outer wear, I still got cold.

I expected to see more water flowing through Village Creek today than I saw. I was totally prepared to find the park access closed due to high water, which often happens after we get rain to fall on this formerly parched part of the planet.

I saw 3 people walking dogs with the Indian Ghosts today. One of the dog walkers was a lady with 6 dogs on leashes.

When I walked past the 6 dogs on leashes I said to the lady, "That is a lot of dogs you've got there."

To which the dog lady said she had 7 more at home. Then she asked, "Well behaved, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are very nice doggies," said I.

13 dogs? Isn't that some sort of code violation? I don't care how well behaved they are. I would not like to live next to a house with 13 dogs.

Elsie Hotpepper has 4 dogs that I know of.

That also seems a bit nuts to me.

Mitigating the nuttiness, slightly, Elsie has a big backyard where the dogs have plenty of space to roam. But, they are such poorly behaved mutts, unlike those polite 6 dogs I saw walking with that lady at Village Creek today.