Remembering Mom & Dad Herding Fort Worth Stockyard Longhorns With Sister Nancy In A Dress

Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day that are a tad special.

The first photo I know for sure was taken in October of 2001. Mom and dad's first visit to Texas to see their eldest son.

Mom and dad's second visit to Texas took place in January of 2009, which is how I know the above is from the first visit, due to January being cold, whilst in October it can still be shirtsleeve weather in Texas.

Both of mom and dad's visits to Texas included visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards, which is where we are in the above photo, watching the Fort Worth herd of longhorns pass by. An event which takes place twice a day.

That is mom, on the right, watching dad try to take photos of the herd with his Olympus digital camera. During their visit mom repeatedly instructed dad to take a photo. I doubt those photos ever made their way off the camera.

Both mom and dad visits to the Fort Worth Stockyards also involved going to Riscky's BBQ for All You Can Eat BBQed Ribs.

That is another way I know this photo is from 2001. We were sitting outside at Riscky's. In 2009 we were inside, because it was cold.

I would link to my Eyes on Texas website webpage of the Fort Worth Stockyards, which included photos of mom and dad's visit, but, I have decided to terminate my Eyes on Texas website, after letting it live for a couple decades. I no longer update that website. Thus it has become dated. I no longer enjoy fiddling with HTML code. So, bye bye Eyes on Texas.

I have no clue if the above photo was taken on a day in September, or October. I can see the photo has stamped on it "JAN 64". But, that likely is when the photo was developed, not when it was taken. Photo taking was quite primitive, prior to the invention of the digital method of photo taking.

I do not recognize the car behind us. I do know the location is the front yard of 1027 Washington Avenue, in Burlington, Washington.

On the left that would be me, with my little brother, Jake, next to me, then our then extremely little sister, Jackie, holding on to Jake, with big sister, Nancy, in one of the rare instances of her being photo documented in a dress.

This photo would have been taken about six years before the arrival of our final baby sister, Michele....

Walking Around Fosdick Lake With My Mom Thinking About Doing The Puyallup

It seems as if it has been weeks since I've driven to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake.

As you can see, Fosdick Lake is looking very serene today.

My mom went walking with me today around the lake.

Walking with me via a phone connection.

Real walking is still not working all that well for my mom as the recovery from knee surgery continues.

According to my mom today is my nephew David's birthday. I think this would be birthday number 5. My Arizona sister, she being David's aunt, and another of David's relatives, known as BS, is taking David to the State Fair of Washington today.

The State Fair of Washington, prior to this year, was known as the Western Washington State Fair.

Or The Puyallup.

I suspect most Washingtonians still refer to this fair as The Puyallup.

Pew-el-up is how Puyallup is pronounced for you Texans who never learned to speak Indian.

Speaking of speaking Indian. I made a curry chicken vegetable concoction for lunch today.

So I think I'll go have myself some Indian vittles now....

My Mom Hiked The Tandy Hills With Me Today While I Dehydrated & Wondered About Anonymous

The heat has been burning off some of the humidity, but not enough to where I don't get a bit overheated whilst quickly hiking up and down the Tandy Hills.

I did not get gas today, but I called my mom anyway on the way to the Tandy Hills. Mom was being a bit talkative, which caused me to continue with the talking after I got to my parking spot on top of Mount Tandy.

Usually I drink a bottle of water on the way to do my hiking. Today the talking on the phone thing prevented that. And then I did not think to stick a bottle of water in my pocket.

It is now the time of year when I must remember to carry water. By the time I got to the top of the last hill, the one before scaling to the top of Mount Tandy, I was a bit light-headed from dehydration.

I continue to be annoyed at the comments being made regarding the Paradise Center Scandal. CatsPaw is doing a real good job of countering the bad commenters. CatsPaw is providing this service on both the Paradise Center Scandal blog and the blog you are reading right now.

I got a real strange, non-Paradise Center Scandal, comment from the ubiquitous Anonymous, yesterday, to a blog post from way back on September 12, 2009....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fort Worth Glacier Peak Bearfire Resort Vision":

Obviously, this blogger has never been to Texas. Yes its hot, and yes there are conservatives, but Texas , as a state and a place to live is the best!! No state income tax, prop taxes are low, real estate is cheaper, and we have CHL!! People who talk bad about Texas are just jealous they dont live here

Is Anonymous talking about me being the blogger who has obviously never been to Texas? What is CHL? Did someone steal the apostrophe from Anonymous's keyboard? People who talk bad about Texas are just jealous they don't live there?

I have had a bad thing or two to say about Texas. And I live there. And I'm not jealous.

What is it about the ubiquitous Anonymouses? The majority of them seem to have a problem with their thought processes, with their words all too frequently turning into a train wreck of illogic. With grammar and punctuation problems.

It's very perplexing.

Late To The Tandy Hills Due To Mom Call & Wrong About State Fair Of Texas Red River Rivalry Crowds

My mom made me late getting to the Tandy Hills Natural Area Sanatorium today for some much needed sanity enhancement.

Yesterday on my way to my aborted (due to a flat tire) bike ride at River Legacy Park I called my mom because I got gas on the way and I always call my mom when I get gas.

My mom did not answer when I called, instead I got my dad's poetic answering machine message. So, I left a message with my important gas and temperature information.

When my mom called this morning she told me she intended to call last night, but an unintended nap diverted that plan. Apparently the Phoenix zone is suffering from the same overheating that Southern California is suffering from. My mom seemed a bit envious when I told her tonight's low here in frigid North Texas is predicted to be 48.

My mom was being amusing today. Apparently, last week my Grand Nephew, Spencer Jack, called my brother, on his birthday, to wish his grandpa a happy birthday. Spencer Jack is 3. Spencer Jack asked my brother how old he was. My brother told him, then Spencer Jack told my brother he was an old man. My brother and my mother believe Spencer Jack's dad, my nephew, programmed Spencer Jack with the "old man" line. Or maybe Spencer Jack is a precocious kid. Precociousness sort of runs in the family.

Betty Jo Bouvier  has not reminded me this week that I need to go visit my mom and dad in Arizona. My mom did the reminding for Betty Jo today. My dad has a rather significant birthday coming up in December. Maybe I will make it to Phoenix for that.

I heard from cd0103, she being my undercover local information source, that I was erroneous in my assumption that today the State Fair of Texas will be a people packed zoo due to the Red River Rivalry football game in the Cotton Bowl. Apparently people stay away from the fair today, assuming erroneously, just like me, that the fair would be way too overcrowded today.

I am going to make another attempt to find an open Fort Worth library this afternoon. And then try and find a bike pump.

Finding Alternator Alternatives In Fort Worth With Pizza

A couple weeks ago when I switched my websites to Host Gator I would not have been able to imagine what scenario would cause me to spend time, a couple Wednesdays later, standing underneath a Host Gator billboard, with a Free Month Coupon using the word "COWBOY."

But, that is what happened today.

My one reader may remember that yesterday did not start off well, due to me skipping my morning swim, followed by a multi-mile walking trek over the mean streets of Dirty ol' Town, Fort Worth, after a serious vehicle malfunction.

Noon today was Part II of fix the vehicle malfunction. To start Part II off well, I made certain I went swimming this morning, even though the water felt as if it had recently been a glacier. At noon I took the ailing vehicle to meet Jonathon the Battery Mechanic, so he could put in a new alternator.

Jonathon arrived 15 minutes late. I left the alternator and vehicle in his care and went to Sam's Club for pizza. Jonathon said it'd take about an hour to make the fix. An hour later I show up. Ooops. Big problem. Don't have a needed tool.

Then another guy shows up, friend of Jonathon. He is another Mobile Mechanic. Is there an epidemic of Mobile Mechanics? The Mobile Mechanic's name was M.R. Block. M.R. directed me to associates of his at Auto Docs, located right by my neighborhood QT and Post Office. M.R. Block said he'd call ahead and tell them an incoming alternator was arriving.

I get to the Auto Docs. They'd not heard from M.R. Block. Then M.R. Block shows up and tells me that KC, at next door Joe's Emergency Auto Repair, would quickly replace the alternator. So, I followed M.R. to Joe's where KC quickly went to work.

I took a walk and called my mom. This was an unusual call because I had not gotten gas. As I was talking to my mom I looked up to see the Host Gator billboard.

A short time later the new alternator was in place, with the old alternator in its box, to be returned to O'Reilly's for the alternator core refund.

It is almost 70 out there. I was overdressed today in long pants and a sweatshirt. I am no longer overdressed.

Incoming Parental Units Heading To Texas

I've confirmed my Mom and Dad are locked and loaded and ready to head this way early Sunday morning. They are currently scheduled to get here early Tuesday. They have a history of arriving earlier than scheduled. If they show up late Monday, they'll find me hard to find.

That's my Mom and Dad in the picture, from last summer, up in Skagit County, north of Seattle, at Bay View State Park. That is my Grand Nephew, Spencer Jack and his Mom, Jenny between my Mom and Dad.

I got Mom and Dad a Texas type Xmas present. If they are cooperative I'll, later, show you what that is. I don't know how cooperative they will be regarding letting me take video of their visit. Likely, that will prove difficult. Mom has trouble seeing. Maybe she won't notice the video camera.

I can find no Christmas wrapping type paper in this place. Would butcher paper suffice? I'm known for very tacky wrapping.

I don't have any chores for my Mom and Dad to do here. No raspberries to can, no holes to dig, no cars to fix. When you stay at my sister's in Tacoma you are given a daily Chore List, first thing in the morning. She runs a very strict house. You are not allowed to move on until your particular chores are checked off and approved as being properly completed.

It was hell for me, hell, I tell you. I'd never experienced anything like it. I don't know where my sister learned to be such a militaristic taskmaster. It certainly wasn't from my dear saint-like Mommy.

Anyway, my windows are currently open. It is a very nice warm Texas winter day. Tomorrow a big chill blows in. And then my Mom and Dad.

Below is video taken the same day as the above picture. You'll see my Mom and Dad (and me) meet Spencer Jack for the first time.

Tandy Hills Hike And A Gas Call To Mom

Yet one more very pleasant Sunday in Texas this fine second day of November. It's in the 80s out there. 60 when I went swimming at 7am. I'm liking the time change.

Today I was talked into driving someone to an appointment near the Tandy Hills Natural Area. I thought, fine, I'll go hiking and maybe take some new video, perhaps of the Chesapeake Energy drilling operation that is taking the natural out of the natural area.

After I dropped the aforementioned at the aforementioned's appointment I saw I needed gas. The gas station nearest the Tandy Hills is the cheapest around my zone. As in today it was $2.06 a gallon. Practically giving it away these days.

Of course, as my long time reader may remember, whenever I get gas I call my mom in Phoenix. I'd gotten an email from my dad yesterday telling me my Mom was concerned because I'd not made a gas call in a long time. Mom answered on the first ring. She claims it's been 2 months since I've called. She may be right.

I told my Ma about my recent memory problems and that that might explain forgetting to make gas calls.

When I was talking to Mom I got a call from Tootsie Tonasket. I kept talking to Mom. But when that conversation finally ended I called Tootsie Tonasket. Soon into that my cell phone started making the dying battery noise. I knew I needed the phone working so the aforementioned could call me when the aforementioned's appointment was over.

So, I temporarily terminated my Tandy visit and came back here to charge my phone. And made rice pudding while I waited. And worked on a website. Then I headed back to Tandy and took the photos you see in this particular blogging.

The photo at the top is me looking towards the Chesapeake Energy desecration zone. The other photo is a look at the fall colors covering the Tandy Hills.