The 2nd Saturday Of 2014 At Quanah Parker Park Before Town Talking

On the left you are looking west at the scenic Trinity River as it flows by Quanah Parker Park on this 2nd Saturday of 2014.

I parked on the Quanah Parker Park parking lot on my way to go treasure hunting at Town Talk to have myself a mighty fine walk in near perfect conditions, along with a lot of other people enjoying a mighty fine walk in near perfect conditions.

Currently the time is a few minutes past three. Before leaving for Quanah Parker Park I found out that today's Seattle Seahawks/New Orleans Saints football game starts in less than a half an hour. My DVR is set to record the game, thus allowing commercial and pointless blather fast forwarding ability when I get around to watching the latest edition of the Seattle Seahawks current Super Bowl quest, starting around 5.

Town Talk was extremely busy today, with long checkout lines. I find standing in the Town Talk checkout lines to be amusing, plus, though the line may look long, it moves quickly.

Today I got two bags of Fuji apples, grown in my old home zone of Washington, shipped from Yakima in Eastern Washington, to be precise. The most novel thing I got today was organic chorizo made from soy. In addition to the apples and chorizo I got a big bag of cole slaw fixin's in the form of already shredded cabbage and carrots. Also multi-grain tortillas and other stuff I am forgetting right now.

Today marks the 394th visit to Town Talk that I have made without running into Miss MLK or Miss MKB. Someday I expect this streak to end....

Mountain Biking In Gateway Park Thinking About Rockin' The Green Trinity River With Fuji Apples

I took my handlebars to Gateway Park, this next to last Saturday of May, to pedal my wheels on the mountain bike trail.

I had already had myself a good bout of endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, early this morning, via swimming.

At the morning swim point in time the air in the outer world, at my location, was heated to around 77 degrees. Which felt to be about the same temperature as the water in the pool.

The air in the outer world, at my location, is now heated to 89 degrees. I suspect by the time the sun leaves for the day we will have had the hottest day of the year, so far.

Hot and humid. The humidity is being a bit oppressive.

It is almost that time of the year when thousands of locals hit the Trinity River in inner tubes to have some fun rockin' the river in the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

More on Rockin' the River later, if I can muster the energy.

Today the Trinity River was looking a bit green, as if it had not yet recovered from being dyed for St. Patrick's Day.

What with the ongoing drought and low reservoirs, is there sufficient water to float the thousands of inner tubers hoping to Rock the River?

I pedaled twice around the Gateway Park mountain bike trail and then headed to Town Talk for my regularly scheduled Saturday treasure hunt.

Today's best treasure is personal size organic watermelons, only a buck each. Had one for lunch. Best watermelon ever. Also got a big bag of Fuji  apples, imported from this state called Washington. And 2 cases of yogurt made from soy, one lemon, one peach, only a buck for a case of 12.

Former Fort Worther, current Washingtonian living in the Tacoma zone, MKB, is currently visiting her old home state, down in the New Braunfels zone, doing some tubing in crystal clear river water. I don't know why MKB did not come to her old home town to do some tubing in the Trinity River, which has turned crystal clear, except for some green bouts, since MKB lived in town....

Hiking The Tandy Hills Thinking About Fuji Apples & Cool Pools

On this First Day of the Spring of 2013 I was in the cool pool swimming when the sun came up. It has been a long time since I've been in the pool when the sun comes up.

I think swimming in the cool pool helps abate my sore arthritic joints. Because the last several days my sore arthritic joints have been being much less sore.

One behavioral variable that could account for this diminished soreness is the increase in time spent in the cool pool.

With another behavior variable being I've been consuming a lot of Fuji apples.

Maybe the combo of these two variables is the magic soreness reducer.

I said earlier today that I thought I would be celebrating the arrival of Spring by getting in some salubrious endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation via hill hiking on the Tandy Hills.

And so I did. The hills were particularly pleasant today. In the picture you are looking towards the top of the trail that leads to the View Street Trail from Tandy Falls. My photography skills never do justice to how steep a hill actually looks. Or how cute an armadillo looks.

This Tandy Hills should be becoming alive with color soon. The 2013 Power to the Prairie Festival is just one week and one month from now, happening on the Tandy Hills the last Saturday of next month, in other words, on April 27.

I found out last night that Spencer Jack, his dad and his girl friend, Brittney, are going to be in the Phoenix zone the first week of April. I did not learn this directly from Spencer Jack, his dad or girl friend, but instead learned this from Spencer Jack's glamorous grandma, she being my favorite ex-sister-in-law.

My mom and dad have not mentioned, to me, that Spencer Jack is coming to town. Maybe the visit is supposed to be a surprise and mom and dad have not been informed that their one and only great grandson is heading their way. No danger of the Internet spoiling that surprise. My mom and dad killed the Internet in their house since my last visit.

I do not believe the killing of my mom and dad's Internet connection is related to my visit.....

Tandy Falls With Fuji Apples & Spencer Jack Serving Ivar's Clam Chowder Since 1967

No. That is not a Boondoggle Designer's model of what Pond Granger will look like if the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle ever becomes anything anyone can see.

What you are looking at is Lake Tandy. That is not a boat floating in Lake Tandy. It is a Coleman Cooler.

Water was flowing over Tandy Falls today. This means somewhere in East Fort Worth there is a water leak, because we have not had rain since the last time I walked past Tandy Falls and at that point in time the falls was bone dry.

Hiking today was in near perfect conditions, with the pleasant temperature, near 80, requiring minimalist outerwear.

Though the conditions were perfect I saw only two other hikers, sitting together atop a Tandy Hill. We exchanged waves. A few days ago I learned why I see few hikers on the Tandy Hills. That being that the people who live in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone are America's least active.

Changing the subject to something else, that being Town Talk.

Last Saturday Town Talk was the busiest I've ever seen it. This Saturday the parking lot was only half full and there were no lines at the checkout counters. Today I got myself three 5 pound bags of Fuji apples from Washington, for only $1.99 a bag. Fujis are my favorite apple. The most unusual thing I got today was fig flavored Greek yogurt. I  learned not to pre-judge yogurt flavors after finding myself liking chocolate yogurt.

Continuing on with the subject being food.

This morning I got email from Spencer Jack's dad, with the message being, "Your latest blog post hinted that you missed both Spencer Jack and fast food. I will attach this month's money saving coupon should your 2013 Spring travel plans include a stop in our neck of the woods."

It is a year ago, almost to the hour, that I sat outside Spencer Jack's Great Aunt Jackie's house in Chandler, Arizona, awaiting the arrival of Spencer Jack, his dad and his girl friend, Brittney.

I have heard rumors that I will be in the Pacific Northwest zone soon. Having a fish burger with Spencer Jack at his dad's Fidalgo Drive-In would be a really good thing.

There is something about his ad that I am not understanding. If I remember right the year Spencer Jack's dad was born was 1979. So, how has he been "Serving the same great taste since 1967!"?

I am also not understanding why Spencer Jack's dad has Ivar's Clam Chowder on the menu, rather than using his grandma's (my mom's) clam chowder recipe?

Mom's Clam Chowder is the best. I've not had Mom's Clam Chowder this century.....