Today Finding Some Possible Interlochen Indian Ghosts Protesting Columbus Day

After extensive tutoring by renowned selfie photo taker, Elsie Hotpepper, my selfie photo taking has not improved one iota.

My photographer skills also continue to be severely limited.

In this photo, in addition to doing the requisite selfie thing, I was trying to show the long expanse of a narrow greenway which one accesses from near the formerly blue Village Creek Blue Bayou, or from the east, via a dam crossing from Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood.

This morning I woke up feeling real good, for no apparent reason, soon found myself having a mighty fine swim in the increasingly cool pool. Then a few hours later, again for no apparent reason, I developed a rare mild headache.

I figured the rare mild headache would be helped by a not so rare Sunday walk with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's resident Indian Ghosts.

A few days ago I  found the Indian Ghosts to be in a cranky mood due to tomorrow's most nefarious American holiday.

Columbus Day.

The day we celebrate a murderous genocide purveying, rape condoning, racist, property thieving European who stumbled on some Caribbean islands while looking for India. Hence America's native population being known as Indians.

If I were President, and if it were within my Executive Order powers, I would issue an Executive Order ending Columbus Day, replacing that disgraceful holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day, or Native American Day or some other such thing.

Anyway, today whilst walking along Village Creek I did not sense the usual presence of the Indian Ghosts.

However, when I left the Village Creek Natural Historical  Area, to briefly cross into the Interlochen neighborhood, from whence I quickly re-enter the Natural Historical Area, I saw what may have been some sort of Indian Ghosts Columbus Day Protest around a big tree.

Spooky, don't you think?

Currently the temperature is only 7 degrees shy of 100. When I walked with the Indian Ghosts the temperature was a relatively chilly 80, and windy. We are not yet quite at that needing to wear sweatpants time of the year, but close. I think we are past the needing to be shirtless to survive the heat part of the year.

Soon I will be searching to find where I put my long underwear.

On Facebook this morning I read an incoming COLD warning from esteemed North Texas weatherman, John Basham, that COLD is on the way in a week or so. Seems like just yesterday me and my vehicle slid sideways down the hill to the entry to my abode zone. I believe that was in early March. Or late February.

Please spare us Ice Storms this winter. I am not in the mood for such things....

Escaping The Humidity Via Bike Enabled Wind Chilling In Arlington's Interlochen

I was unable to get humidity relief via the swimming method this morning because the pool is getting a shock treatment. It takes about a day for the pool to get over being shocked.

To get myself some outdoor wind chilling I used the rolling my wheels method.

That's bike wheels, not motorized vehicle wheels with windows down and A/C at full blast.

The wind is cooling whilst pedaling, til one stops for a water break or a photo op.

That is one of the Interlochen fountains you are seeing spouting above. I  took that photo then put the camera in video mode and did a 360 spin around to give you a better idea of what this part of the planet looks like than what can be conveyed by a single photo.

Tacoma's Connie D asked me today when I am coming to Tacoma. That  is a good question.

When am I going to Tacoma? Or Washington. It has been almost 6 years since I have been to the far north. When I left  that location, way back on August 20 of 2008, I said it'd likely be 20 years til I returned.

Anyway, below is the aforementioned video, YouTubized.....

Rolling Through Arlington's Findlay Linear Park Causing Me To Think About The Panther Island Boondoggle

This morning my refrigerator informed me I was in need of a re-stocking the milk supply.

ALDI is my milk supplier.

I'd not checked in with Arlington's resident Indian Ghosts for several days, so I decided to do so before going to ALDI to get a couple jugs of processed cow extract.

In the picture you are looking at my handlebars after they'd visited the Indian Ghosts inside the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

The handlebars are parked on the curvy paved trail of the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

Bob Findlay was an award winning developer who had the vision to build what is known as Interlochen. In the middle/right of the picture you can barely see one of the Interlochen canals, with a fountain spouting water.

I do not know if at its inception Interlochen was originally called the Village Creek Vision. I do know that just like Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, I mean, Panther Island Bonndoggle, the public was not allowed to vote on the Arlington project.

However, Fort Worth's Panther Island Boondoggle is a public works project  the public has never been allowed to vote on, while Arlington's Interlochen is a private development that the public had no business voting on.

I am also fairly certain that, unlike the Panther Island Boondoogle, eminent domain was not abused to take property to build Interlochen.  I believe the Interlochen area was pretty much an undeveloped gravel pit type zone before Bob Findlay had the vision to turn it into what Interlochen is today, that being an extremely attractive  residential zone, with many of the homes having a canal in their backyard.

I also suspect that unlike the Panther Island Boondoggle the Interlochen Vision had a very precise project timeline, was likely fully funded and did not employ the unqualified son of that era's Congressperson as the project's director....

This Morning I Thought About Hunting Easter Eggs With Spencer Jack Before Thinking About Sitting On A Lonely Bench

This morning when I woke up my computer prior to going for my regularly scheduled swim I found in my email inbox email from Spencer Jack's dad with pictures of Spencer Jack hunting Easter Eggs at his Very Special Aunt Clancy's sprawling estate in Kent.

That would be Kent, Washington, not Kent, England.

The pictures were not accompanied by any explanatory text, leaving me to guess as to what I was looking at, and whom.

I can see Spencer is carrying a bag with his name on it. I assume this is where he is putting the eggs he finds. I am guessing Spencer has spotted an egg in the tree and is trying to reach it.

Another picture showed a lot of artificial eggs with money strewn about. Apparently the eggs were stuffed with cash.

April of 2006 was the last time I was at an Easter Egg Hunt at Spencer Jack's Very Special Aunt Clancy's. There were no kids in attendance. I think the youngest person there was well into their 30s. Yet Aunt Clancy insisted on subjecting us to an Easter Egg Hunt. However, and this is the type thing which makes Spencer Jack's Aunt Clancy Very Special, the Egg Hunters had to take off their shoes and put on special footwear.

I was the only one to opt out of participating in this.

Changing the subject from Spencer Jack's Easter Egg Hunting with his Very Special Aunt Clancy to something else.

I have been staying off my bike ever since I hurt my knee in a nightmare related incident last week, til today.

I rolled my mechanized vehicular transport device to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington to find out if my knee could handle rolling my bike's wheels.

Judging from the fact that the pedaling was pain free I think I have recovered from my latest nightmare injury.

Changing the subject from my knee to the bench you see in the picture.

I think I've heard a country music song about there being nothing lonelier than an empty bench. Then again, that sounds ridiculous. Then again, once again, many country music songs are a bit ridiculous so maybe I did hear a country song about a lonely bench.

Anyway, in parks in Texas I see a lot of benches. Usually lonely benches with no one sitting on them. The lonely bench you see above, that my handlebars are aimed at, sits a bit off the Bob Findlay Linear Park's paved trail that one comes to as one leaves the Village Creek Natural Historical Area and enters the Interlochen zone.

Rolling My Wheels Past Arlington's Interlochen Canals Wondering About Fort Worth's Phantom Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Canals

My handlebars and the rest of my bike took me on a tour of Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood today.

Those would be the aforementioned handlebars you are looking at in the photo, pointing towards one of the Interlochen canals.

Seeing the scenic Interlochen canals always brings the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle to mind.

Are canals still part of the plan for the TRV Boondoggle? I have no idea.

If canals are part of the Vision, does anyone have any idea when one might be seeing the Vision's canals?

How come I don't ever hear of anyone but me wondering why there is no timeline completion schedule type information regarding the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle of the sort that existed for previous public works projects I have witnessed in parts of America that operate like a full functioning democracy where the people get to vote on the public works projects they pay for?

Changing the subject from boondoggles to something else.

Today was my first successful bike ride of the new year. An extremely windy bike ride. It  felt good to be back rolling the wheels of a non-motorized device.

The current forecast is for day after day after day of temperatures in the 70s and 80s. I suspect there will be some more bike rides in my immediate future. That and maybe some actual pool time.

Driving To Arlington's Interlochen Canals With Tacoma's Connie D

No. That is not an artist's rendering of what one of the canals will look like if the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle ever becomes something someone can see.

What you are looking is not in Fort Worth. It is in Arlington.

The canal is one of many which make up the Interlochen neighborhood.

Interlochen is an award winning development, developed decades ago by developer Bob Findlay.

Interlochen being developed by Bob Findlay is why the paved trail I pedaled on to get to Interlochen is called the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

The paved trail that runs through the Village Creek Natural Historical Area exits the Historical Area to become the aforementioned Bob Findlay Linear Park paved trail.

The outer world was heated in to the 90 degree range when I drove myself to Arlington to roll my wheels.

As long as I am pedaling I stay cool due to that refreshing wind chill factor effect. But, stop pedaling and the sauna steam bath effect goes into effect.

I was in the pool before dawn cracked again this morning. I rather like swimming whilst the sun comes up. Soon we will be entering that time of the year where it becomes ever more cool to get in the pool.

I saw today that the kids are back in school. I had to slow to 25 because the slow down lights were flashing as I passed John T. White Elementary.

I had to slow down and get off the phone. The Tacoma Connie D had called me soon after I exited my abode. It is a $200 fine if you are caught talking on your cell phone when you drive by a school in Texas.

The Tacoma Connie D has the sweetest voice. If she were to move to Texas and learn to speak with a Texas accent her accent would be a real honey dripper.

The lunch gong just sounded. Talk to you later.....

Crossing Arlington's Flash Flooding Village Creek Is Not A Good Idea

Optimistic optimist that I be, even though rain fell in copious amounts this morning, resulting in flash flood alerts, around noon I drove to the western entry to Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, expecting the parking lot off Dottie Lynn Parkway to be open.

Instead I found a closed gate with a "Closed Due To Flooding" sign.

So, just like I did a week or two ago, I drove to the Interlochen side of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

In the picture above you are looking at the view from whence I was parked in Interlochen. I could see water flooding over the dam bridge, which meant there would be no shady walking with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts, unless I decided to try and cross the flooding bridge.

Watch the video below to see if I made it across the raging torrent.



After enjoying the salubrious benefits coming from all the negative ions shooting into the air from the broiling Village Creek water, I walked for a mile or two on the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail and then decided I was not liking the ultra high humidity, so, it was off to Walmart to get some groceries in extremely cool air-conditioned comfort.

There was very little water flash flooding in Walmart, though the Lawn Whisperer made have had a few things to whisper about in the area surrounding Walmart.

Dam Hopping With An Armadillo Wondering About The Sarcastic Jones Curse

In the picture you are looking west across one of the dams that help make the canals that make up Interlochen.

Interlochen is an Arlington neighborhood that one eventually walks to when one walks with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Today the amount of water spilling over the dam was low enough that I was able to walk across it to Interlochen.

I saw only one armadillo today, doing something I did not know an armadillo could do. As in run fast in a sort of hopping motion.

Armadillos are so cute, today I was wondering if anyone has ever managed to turn an armadillo into a house pet. I suspect not.

Changing the subject from cute armadillos to my cute nephew, Spencer Jack.

This morning I got an email from Spencer Jack's dad which asked an interesting question.....

Thought you'd get a laugh to know that Spencer's kindergarten teacher told him that he is very "sarcastic." 

Is this a Jones curse?

I really don't think being sarcastic is any sort of curse.

Why would a teacher think it is okay to tell a 5 year old that he is "very sarcastic"? That seems wrong to me.

I was traumatized when I was a 7th grader when a teacher told me I was "obnoxiously precocious".

At that point in time I knew what "obnoxious" meant, but had no idea what "precocious" meant. So I found a dictionary and did not really understand the definition. My extremely delicate feelers were terribly hurt, with me assuming that being obnoxiously precocious was a really bad thing.

It was years until I realized that being an obnoxiously precocious 7th grader was a good thing to be.

I hope Spencer's dad is able to get Spencer to understand that being sarcastic is an admirable trait. And that his teacher was complimenting him....

Flood Forces An Alternative Route To Walk With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Pondering The J.D. Granger Memorial Plaque

Last night a storm dropped a lot of water, in addition to banging my windows with hail, along with some strong thunderstorming.

A storm dropping a lot of water cuts back on my hiking, biking, walking options.

Walking around Fosdick Lake in Oakland Lake Park is always doable, no matter how much flash flooding has flashed.

But, my usual Sunday constitutional takes place at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area where I walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the area.

So I drove to my usual entry place for my usual walk with the Indian Ghosts, sort of expecting the parking lot, and park, to be closed, due to flooding.

My park closed by flood expectation turned out to be correct. So, I drove to the east side of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, to the Interlochen neighborhood. I knew the flooding would either have abated enough to allow a dry creek crossing, or I could just walk the trail in the Bob Findlay Linear Park and avoid Village Creek.

As you can see, via the picture above, at some point during last night's flash flooding water washed over the dam bridge, leaving some driftwood, but, by noon, the bridge was dry, and so I was able to do my regular Sunday walk with the Indian Ghosts, albeit from a different direction.

I was not the only person opting to enter the Village Creek zone via Interlochen. A lot of other people were walking around the "Park Closed Due To Flooding" gate.

Below you see one of those gate crashers walking across the dam bridge that usually is the first one I come to when I enter the park from the regular parking lot.

The water rushing under the dam bridge at high velocity made a very familiar noise which caused me to wonder how long it has been since I've last experienced a real waterfall. Turner Falls up in Oklahoma? Snoqualmie Falls up in Washington? Tandy Falls in Fort Worth?

Speaking of water in Fort Worth.

I have previously read the memorial plaque that you come to when you exit the Village Creek zone to the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

Today I read it again. I found one particular paragraph interesting.

"Bob developed Interlochen Estates, a select residential area featuring a sophisticated lake system. He received national attention on this development for his conversion of abandoned gravel pits located on a flood plain."

Reading the above paragraph had me wondering if some day in the future, 20 or 30 years from now, when, maybe, the Trinity River Vision is actually something someone can see, if a similar plaque might be installed on the shores of Pond Granger honoring the brains behind the TRV Boondoggle, J.D. Granger.

"J.D. developed the Trinity River Vision, a private economic development area with a sophisticated pond, built using public money, with no input from the public in the form of voting for the project. J.D. received national attention for his part in removing existing flood control levees, replaced with a massive flood diversion channel, which failed when first flooded, causing billions of dollars in damage, while losing an untold number of lives."

I somehow really doubt there will one day be a J.D Granger Linear Park in Fort Worth. Then again, I have seen some mighty strange things happen in this town.....

Log Jamming & Water Sucking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Thinking About The Paradise Center Scandal & Jalapeno Cilantro Soup

In the picture you are looking at the litter log jam that Village Creek has pushed up against the southernmost bridge/dam in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Methinks it might be a good idea to un-jam this log litter jam before the next flash flood flashes.

I would not want to be the person or persons un-jamming this litter log jam. A week or so ago I saw one of the biggest snakes I've ever seen snaking around on that litter log jam.

Before I forget, I must mention I got an interesting blog comment to the Paradise Center Scandal blog this morning from someone named Jocelyn Kay. The comment was on a blog post from well over a year ago, titled Anonymous Research Into the MHMR-TC Relationship With BRAVO Health. This comment from Ms. Kay seemed blog worthy, so I turned it into a new Paradise Center Scandal post titled An Update on the Health of Bravo Health.

Now, let's leave the Paradise Center Scandal and go back to the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Today I hiked to the end of a sort of peninsula that has Village Creek on one side, with the other side being a  waterway the name of which I do not know, but I do know it eventually becomes an Interlochen canal.

Today when I got to the dam that holds back the water in the creek without a name, and turns it into an Interlochen canal, I saw a strange thing on the far side of the dam. It appeared water was being sucked out of the canal, with a frenzy of activity surrounding the water sucking. The water sucker is that orange tube you see below. The orange to was attached to the boxy device on wheels you see on the right. I heard a motor noise which I assumed was a pump pumping. But where was the water going that was being pumped?

I really could not figure out what was going on above. I saw no water tubes except for the one that led from the water to what I assume was a pump. There is no gas drilling operation in this zone that would explain the apparent water suckage.

Very perplexing.

Now let's chain subject to something else. Like lunch.

I mentioned yesterday that I was making Jalapeno Cilantro Soup. The construction process took place yester evening. That went well with no jalapeno problems.

The Jalapeno Cilantro Soup was lunch today. This may be the tastiest soup I've ever made.

I altered the Reata Restaurant's version a bit. No way was I going to make soup with 8 cups of heavy cream. I used 3 cups of sour cream and 5 cups of skim milk instead. That was the only change I made except for using a few more Roma tomatoes than the Reata recipe called for and about twice as much garlic.

Below is the Reata's Jalapeno Cilantro Soup recipe in its un-altered state....

1⁄2 tbsp. unsalted butter
5 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
3⁄4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
8 cups heavy cream (use the highest fat content available)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped

In a large stockpot, heat the butter over medium heat.  Saute the jalapenos, onions, and garlic for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the peppers turn soft.

Remove from the heat and add the avocado, tomatoes and cream. Lower the heat, then return the pot to heat, stirring constantly so the cream doesn't separate. Slowly bring the soup back to a simmer, cooking until liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir often to prevent scorching or sticking.

Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the cilantro, reserving about 1 t. per serving for garnish. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped cilantro and tortilla chips.

Drops Of Rain Dampened Bike Riding Today Before The Northern Front Invaded North Texas

Today around noon my handlebars were on the paved trail in the Bob Findlay Linear Park, which trails past Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood.

To get to the Bob Findlay Linear Park one pedals the paved trail which runs through the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Today, a few minutes into pedaling, rain drops started falling on my head. And other places in addition to my hatless/helmetless head.

The rain was not falling in copious amounts. But with the clouds looking as if they could go into major level weep mode at any moment I cut the bike riding short today.

Currently, at some point in time between 2 and 3 in the afternoon the outer world is being heated to 77 degrees at my location. Around 3 a Northern Front is scheduled to march into the D/FW zone drastically dropping the temperature into the 40s.

I am fairly certain I will be under blankets tonight in my slumber chamber.

Looking outside it appears the Northern Front may be invading earlier than predicted, with sudden gusts of wind. So far, at least according to my computer based temperature monitoring device, the temperature has not yet begun to plummet.

Wondering Why The Village Creek Vision Has No Rockin' The Creek Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats

The bench you are seeing in the picture is looking at one of the Interlochen lakes in Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood.

For my noon day constitutional today I biked with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Biking is much less of a steam bath experience than hiking is at the current HOT temperatures.

The Interlochen lakes and canals were built as part of the Village Creek Vision. This vision did not become a boondoggle, instead it became a very cool residential area in Arlington.

Unlike the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle visionaries, the Village Creek Vision visionaries did not envision any restaurants, wakeboard parks, drive-in movie theaters or Rockin' the Creek Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats as part of their vision.

Clearly the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle visionaries have a much broader vision than the Village Creek Vision visionaries had when they were doing their envisioning.

Biking Arlington's Lake Interlochen Neighborhood Wondering About Possible Cowtown Wakepark Shenanigans

In the picture you are looking at one of the Interlochen Canals in Arlington's Lake Interlochen Neighborhood.

Today I pedaled past the Indian Ghosts, who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, to pedal the streets of Interlochen.

Pedaling the streets of Interlochen avails one of some good hill action.

Just last week, if my memory is serving me correctly, I blogged about the Interlochen Canals and Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

The vision that gave Arlington the Interlochen Canals did not envision having one of the canals host the world's premiere wakeboarding lake.

Have any of Fort Worth's hard hitting newspapers done any investigative journalizing into how the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Cowtown Wakepark is doing?

I'm curious how the deal to build the Cowtown Wakepark came about. How much did it cost the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle project to add that little lake?

Many people were less than pleased with the shenanigans of J.D. Granger and the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle that gave Tim Love a sweetheart deal and a new restaurant.

But, I have read nary a word about the shenanigans that brought about the world's premiere urban wakeboard lake.

Biking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts To Arlington's Interlochen Canals

Interlochen Canal In Arlington

That is one of the Interlochen Canals, in Arlington, you are looking at in the picture.

Today I was able go bike riding with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Village Creek Natural Historical Area because the park closed sign was no more.

Until the next flood.

For the first time in over a year I left the Indian Ghosts behind, exiting the Historical Area to the Bob Findlay Linear Park, also known as Pioneer Trail.

Seeing the Canals of Interlochen today got me wondering how it was Arlington was able to builds these canals. Was there a Rush Creek Vision? Did the project that resulted in the Interlochen Canals get Federal earmark money courtesy of a corrupt Congressman? Or Congresswoman? To help grease the Congressperson's help was the job of managing the Interlochen Canal project given to that Congressperson's unqualified, unemployed son?

I actually know the answer to these probing questions. The Interlochen Canals and Lake Interlochen are the result of a private development envisioned by Bob Findlay. A nationally recognized project that turned a gravel pit and floodlands into a valuable piece of real estate.

The Interlochen Neighborhood covers 4.578 square miles and is home to 11,660 Arlingtonians.

I do not believe any property was stolen via the abuse of eminent domain to facilitate the Interlochen Canal Vision.

The Interlochen Canal Vision resulted, eventually, in the Lake Interlochen Homeowners Association that takes care of the upkeep of the canal system, which includes the impound dam on Rush Creek and the structures that control the inflow and outflow of Lake Interlochen.

I do not know if J.D. Granger and his cronies took one of their infamous junket parties to Arlington to check out the Interlochen Canals. Likely not.

Walking From Interlochen Through The Mud To Get To The Village Creek Indian Ghosts

This Is Not The Village Creek Hydro Dam

If I remember correctly, earlier today I indicated that walking with the Indian Ghosts of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area would be my walking option today, if the parking lot flood gates were open.

Well.

The flood gates were still closed at the westside parking lot on Dottie Lynn Parkway.

So I drove to the eastside of the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, in the Interlochen Neighborhood of Arlington.

Interlochen is so named because there are several canals, giving a lot of houses waterfront property. I do not know if these canals were the result of Arlington's Village Creek Vision. I do know that the project that resulted in Interlochen was not a boondoggle, unlike some other area canal projects.

Rather than being a boondoggle, Interlochen won design awards for its instigator, Bob Findlay. And Bob Findlay Linear Park is named after him. Bob Findlay Linear Park begins where the Village Creek Natural Historical Area paved trail exits Village Creek into the Interlochen Neighborhood.

The eastside gate was also blocking entry to the former location of one of America's biggest Indian Villages. But the eastside gate is easy to get around. The mud, is not quite as easy to get around. I was not the only person I saw being a scoflaw, but I was the only one I saw who slipped on the mud.

In the picture you are looking east, across Village Creek Dam/Bridge #2, looking at the Interlochen Neighborhood in the background.

Judging by the highwater mark left by the mud and debris, Village Creek flooded more than I would have guessed it would from the 4 inches, give or take, that fell during the recent deluge.

Yesterday, when I saw the Trinity River, it appeared to have receded back to pre-flood mode. Village Creek was still flowing above the norm.

It is not time for lunch. Spaghetti.

The Village Creek Natural Historic Area's Water Level Is At An Historic Low

Dried Up Village Creek Bayou

I'd not been to the Village Creek Natural Historic Area for a few days. I went there today on my way to Pantego, before heading back here to go with Elsie Hotpepper for lunch at In-N-Out on West 7th in Fort Worth.

Which did not happen. More on Elsie Hotpepper in a separate blogging.

There is still green foliage around the now dried up Village Creek Bayou, but the brown/dead area is growing. We need rain soon. The surviving greenery is really starting to look very stressed.

I saw some stranded, trapped fish in the ponds that remain of the dried up Village Creek.

What did the enormous Indian Village on the banks of Village Creek do when the creek dried up? Move down to the Trinity River? I imagine back then there was very little litter or chemical pollution in the Trinity River.

A Dam New Walkway

Today at Village Creek I went off the paved trail, walking on the peninsula that is between the water that is supposed to be flowing through the Village Creek Bayou and Village Creek. Usually this terminates where water flows over an Interlochen dam, joining Village Creek, preventing walking any further.

As you can see in the picture, no water is flowing over the dam. I had not seen this before. The Interlochen Canals must be being very low on water.

I was able to use the dried spillway as a walkway and re-enter the Village Creek Natural Historic Area from its east entry. Something I'd never been able to do before. What a thrill.

If we don't get some rain in these parched parts of the planet we may need to form a posse and to cross the Red River and purloin some Oklahoma water. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

In The Middle Of December Thinking About The Texas Holiday Trail Of Lights & Interlochen

We are already about half way through the last month of 2010.

I was up late last night and up late this morning. A very rare occurrence.

Looking out the mid morning view from my window it appears to be yet one more blue sky Texas day. Rapidly approaching 60 degrees.

At one point last evening some dancing activity occurred. Shakira's Hips Don't Like started an involuntary reaction that has plagued me previously. That song turns me into a 21st Century Fred Astaire.

I got a comment from someone Anonymous verbalizing the opinion that I should alleviate my lack of Christmas Cheer by heading out to the East Texas Piney Woods Region to follow the Texas Holiday Trail of Lights.

That particular trail takes you to towns like Nacogdoches and Marshall and Jefferson where you see a lot of bright lights and Christmas displays.

I don't need to drive all the way out to the East Texas Piney Woods Region to see bright lights and Christmas displays. All I have to do is drive about 3 miles to the east to the Interlochen neighborhood to see bright lights and Christmas displays.

The Texas Holiday Trail of Lights link will take you to info about that particular trail. The Interlochen link will take you to info about Interlochen and maps directing you to the location.

I need to go take some Ibuprofen now. I'm having chest pains....

Walking Through Village Creek Natural Historic Area Looking For Indians & Wondering If The Christmas Lights Have Dimmed In Interlochen

I am still in the midst of my personal recession. I am fairly certain my condition has stabilized and I will not slip into a full blown depression. However, I am currently not seeing a recovery in the near term.

Maybe tomorrow.

My therapist, Dr. L.C., told me to get vertical and mobile.

So, I followed Doctor's order and went to Village Creek Natural Historic Area to commune with nature and talk to all the Indian spirits who hover about the location of one of America's biggest Indian Villages, back before Texans started using a brute force version of eminent domain abuse to kick the locals out of their town.

A proud tradition which continues in modern Texas times, what with the new Dallas Cowboy's Stadium, built with the help of what many believe to be the worst case of eminent domain abuse in American history, a couple miles to the east.

As I walked through the remains of the Indian Village, I eventually exited to the Bob Findlay Linear Park. This linear park is on the west side of the Interlochen neighborhood,. Interlochen is usually an extremely popular Christmas display viewing venue.

Today it appeared that many of the Interlochen houses are free of Christmas decorations. It seems like I may have read of there being some problem with Interlochen this year, something to do with the Arlington police not wanting to police the traffic mess.

Or maybe the Interlochen canal dwellers have had to cut back on frivolous spending, like Christmas lights. I know I have cut back.

Actually, now that you are making me think about it, I have never burned any electricity on Christmas lights.

4th Of July Walking In The Closed Due To Flooding Village Creek Natural Area From Interlochen

The deluge of rain of late has reduced my hiking/walking options. Today I decided to gamble that Village Creek Natural Historic Area was open, with the "Closed Due To Flooding" gate not blocking the entry.

Well, the Village Creek parking lot off Dottie Lynn Parkway was blocked by the flood gate.

So, I decided to go to the Interlochen side of Village Creek Natural Historic Area. If Village Creek was rampaging over the bridge/dam I could still take a walk through Bob Findlay Linear Park, which is what the Village Creek paved trail exits to.

Well. Village Creek was not flooding over the dam/bridge. Why was the park not open, I wondered, it being the 4th of July, afterall. I figured all the park workers had the day off. I walked into the Natural Historic Area to the other dam/bridge. I walked over that dam/bridge to the bayou overlook, where weeks ago I thought I saw alligators.

The flooding had not left the mess of thick mud it usually leaves. On the way back out of the Natural Historic Area I heard an air blower. A park worker had arrived to re-open the park.

I don't often drive into Interlochen. It's a very nice neighborhood. It is also the location of what is widely believed to be the most over the top Christmas displays in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Interlochen is so named because of the canals and lakes that make up the neighborhood.

The guy for whom the Linear Park is named, Bob Findlay, developed Interlochen Estates. He had the vision to see that converting a bunch of abandoned gravel pits, located in a flood plain, into canals and lakes, would turn the gravel pits into prime home building real estate.

And so it did.

I would love to live in Interlochen, except for one drawback. I am used to quick access to the freeway. Interlochen does not have quick access to the freeway. I am also used to being close to stores. The closest store to Interlochen, I think, is the Wal-Mart Supercenter I frequent most frequently.

It is half past 3 on the 4th of July in Texas and I have yet to hear a single firecracker.

Talking To Mom From Village Creek About Moab, Moki Dugway & Tuba City McDonald's

When I got up this morning I was not happy to find myself with an aching back. What I did to cause this, I do not know.

By late morning it was worse. I did some yoga stretches, took some ibuprofen and headed to Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

I didn't call my mom the last time I got gas, so I called today while I was walking. My mom asked me if I got a phone photo from them. I had not. They'd been up to Moab and sent me a picture from Arches National Park.

Sounded like mom likes Arches. Then she told me they drove on a steep road with lots of twists and turns that ended up in Mexican Hat. You went down the Moki Dugway, I asked? Is that what it was called, mom asked?

I told mom the next time they go to Mexican Hat stay at the San Juan Inn. They had trouble finding a room in Moab. This is the busy time of year in that zone. Lots of mountain bikers and jeepers.

I think they drove right by Monument Valley because mom was a bit vague about that when I asked if they drove in there. Somehow they ended up in Tuba City for the night, again having trouble finding a room. I told mom that Tuba City has one of the coolest McDonald's I've seen, Navajo themed. And when I was there a Navajo elder woman was holding court. Mom said they had breakfast in that McDonald's, but she remembered nothing special about it.

This is an Indian themed blogging, I guess, so back to Village Creek, site of one of the biggest Indian villages in America, til run out of town by the Texans.

I wanted to take a picture of a plaque by Village Creek that's dedicated to Bob Findlay, he being the developer behind Interlochen. Interlochen is an award winning development that turned an old gravel pit into this very cool residential area with canals. In a couple months Interlochen will get very busy due to being the location of the D/FW area's most outlandish Christmas displays.

When I found the plaque it was impossible to read due to a huge purple plant overshadowing it. I climbed over a fence to see what a new sign said and was surprised to learn I was no longer in Village Creek Natural Historic Area, but was instead in Bob Findlay Linear Park. All this time I did not know where I was.