Water Baby Has A Gator Encounter In The Inner Tubing Area Of The Trinity River In Fort Worth

One of my undercover agents, who, for blogging purposes, will be referred to as Water Baby, was taking a stroll along the Trinity River last night, before sunset. As Water Baby walked, she and her walking companion were startled to see a large reptile moving stealthily down the Trinity River.

Moving stealthily in the same location in Trinity Park that J.D. Granger and his TRV crew hold their Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

Due to the bad light provided by the setting sun, Water Baby's pictures aren't all that great. But you sure can clearly see something is moving in the river and leaving a wake behind it.

Below is another of Water Baby's pictures and below that I'll insert Water Baby's Full Gator in the Trinity Report.

Yesterday while I was walking on the trinity trail I spotted something peculiar swimming in the river.  I noticed it right away because the wake behind it was huge.  It was swimming in the middle of the river at a very slow pace and coming from under the university st. bridge toward the mini train station (by the zoo).  My first instinct told me it was a gator because of the way it was moving, like it was scoping the area for prey.  I  took a few pics and continued to watch just to see where it was going, it eventually stopped along the edge of the river bank over by the train station.  By this time it was out of sight so I continued my walk, looping around to the other side of the river and headed back home in the direction of the zoo (and the mysterious creature).  When I was nearing the train station area I walked over to the river bank area to look around and check to see if that thing was still in the water and I saw it in the shadows!!!  At this time I was very close and it still looked like a gator, so I was a little nervous.  I took a few more pics.  Because the sun was going down, my flash was on and I could tell it was bothering this thing.  It seemed to be looking at me from the side, then it swam around in a half circle to face me, as if it were sizing me up.  then it became too dark to take any more pics on my cell phone cam, so I just sat there staring at it.  It stood there looking at me for a while and then slowly started swimming back toward University upstream. There were two ducks swimming downstream so I thought maybe it was interested in the ducks, but as it approached them, they started flapping their wings and took off flying.  I watched it until it disappeared into the shadows of the river banks under the bridge.  My companion and I really thought it was a gator, let me know what you think.  One thing is for sure--JD Granger's TRV tubers better watch out, because if this was really a gator, their happy hour production could turn into Jaws, gator-style. 

Thinking About Tubing The Clear Water Of The Tandy River With Snakes In The Trees

You are looking at today's crystal clear water of the Tandy River, as clear as the Guadalupe or San Marcos River. Very inner tube floating worthy.

Unfortunately, in about a half mile, maybe less, the crystal clear water of the Tandy River joins up with the Trinity River, which is currently a popular inner tube floating recreational destination for those with an aversion to doing their inner tube floating in crystal clear, debris-free water.

It was only 88 when I took off for some Tandy Hills hiking today, with the 68% humidity making it feel like 105.

To me it felt way HOTTER than 105. I was totally soaked by the time I made it back to the relative comfort of an A/C cooled vehicle. The Town Talk walk-in cooler today was too cool, due to being too wet. I won't be doing anymore middle of the day Tandy Hills hiking until the humidity turns reasonable again.

I had an unsettling moment on the Tandy Hills today. My one long time reader may remember me mentioning my aversion to snakes. I am much less averse than I used to be. Multiple encounters with various snakes, including some of the venomous sorts, like rattlesnakes and copperheads, with no dire result, has made me less nervous about snakes.

I remember way back when I first discovered the Tandy Hills I assumed the hills must be infested with snakes. I remember emailing Don Young and asking about Tandy Hills snakes. He allayed my worry.

In all my Tandy Hills hikes I had only seen one snake, that being a little skinny green snake.

Until today.

I was going down the north option at the junction with the trail that comes down from the top of Mount Tandy, where the Fort Worth Space Needle is located. Halfway down that hill I heard loud noises, like some big critter rustling leaves.

I stopped hiking and tried to see what was making the noise, expecting to see an armadillo, or maybe the rumored Tandy Hills fox.

Suddenly I saw a snake. A big snake. Slithering up a tree. Slithering up a tree fast. I reached to get my camera, got it turned on. Which takes all of 2 seconds. In those 2 seconds I lost sight of the snake.

On my last look at the snake, before the camera debacle, there appeared to be at least 6 feet between its head and its tail. A 6 foot long snake slithers on the Tandy Hills. If there is one, there is another. And they climb trees. Fast.

I guess I'll start carrying my snake stick when on the Tandy Hills, til cooler temperatures slow the slithering beasts down.

Up Before The Sun In Chilly North Texas On The Last Friday Of August Thinking About Tubing The Trinity

It is the last Friday of August. Before dawn. I am feeling misbegotten this morning. There was a moon hanging overhead looking at me when I went out on my patio to drink some coffee.

I think there is a song, movie, book or play titled something like Moon for the Misbegotten. If I were not so illiterate I would know these things.

The sun has yet to arrive to heat up the place, so the temperature is still falling, but it has not fallen, yet, to the predicted low of 68. Currently it is a balmy 71. That is about 10 degrees cooler than I run the A/C, so I currently have my windows open for some natural cooling.

I like the natural cooling. Except. This morning there seems to be some sort of chemical smell in the air, sort of like bleach. I really do not think it can possibly be a good thing to have bleached air.

The noisy birds have started up their tweeting ritual that goes on every morning when they get all excited when the sun returns for yet one more day. I tweeted this morning, too, but I did my tweeting on Twitter.

I think I may forego swimming and hiking and get my daily dose of exercise by going inner tubing on the Trinity River. Apparently this formerly scary sounding activity is suddenly quite popular. More on this bizarre phenomenon later.

I changed my mind on foregoing the swimming. I am pool bound in about a minute.