Tandy Hills Mascot Olive The Prairie Dog Is Still Missing

Someone named Anonymous made a comment on a blogging from earlier today, asking about Olive the Missing Prairie Dog....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "March Swimming Plotting Moving North Before Texas HOT Summer arrives": 

Any updates on Olive The Prairie Dog? 

I told Anonymous that I would post the latest info I had regarding the Mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Prairie Dog, being missing. Which is what I posted above. This was from the Friends of the Tandy Hills Natural Area March Prairie Notes.

The text above the photo of Olive says....

Olive the Prairie Dog, beloved mascot of Friends of Tandy Hills and all-around incredible being, has been missing since February 15. She has a chip and tags with phone numbers. If you see her please let us know. 

The text below the photo of Olive says....

Olive the Prairie Dog knows Tandy Hills better than anyone.

Tandy Hills Mascot Olive The Prairie Dog Missing Again

This morning I got multiple confusing text messages from someone for whom English is not her first language.

Amongst those messages I got a confusing text message from someone for whom the Texas variant of English is her first language.

To which I replied something like good gawd is no one speaking understandable English to me today?

The message from the speaker of the Texas variant of English said "the prairie dog is missing again."

I had no  idea what that meant, and said so via the reply I already mentioned.

The speaker of the Texas variant of English then clarified that the prairie dog she was talking about was Olive the Prairie Dog, the Mascot of the Tandy Hills.

How has this happened again? The last time Olive the Prairie Dog went missing it turned into a big deal, with Olive the Prairie Dog posters posted all over, including some big sign versions.

I gleaned the photo of Olive the Prairie Dog from her paternal parental figure, Don Young's Facebook page. You can go there is you have any information about Olive.

A Happy Tandy Hills Earth Day With Fort Worth's Beatnik Loving Mayor

Fort Worth Mayor, Tom McCann signing
"National Beatnik Week" proclamation, 1960. (from LIFE magazine)

Or as the Tandy Hills Godfather, Don Young, put it today in an email's subject line:

Happy Triple bEarthday to Tandy Hills 2015.

According to Olive the Prairie Dog's parental unit, way back on this current day of April 22, in 1960, Fort Worth's beatnik-loving mayor, Tom McCann, and the Fort Worth City Council made the momentous decision to spend $138,250 for the 160 acre chunk of land now known as the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

As for the other parts of the triple part of today's bEarthday and the Tandy Hills.

Ten years after Fort Worth's beatnik-loving major decided to buy the Tandy Hills the first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970.

And then, 40 years later, on April 22, 2010, the Friends of the Tandy Hills Natural Area began a partnership deal with the City of Fort Worth where the city joined in the efforts to protect and restore the Tandy Hills.

The most interesting, to me, part of today's Earth Day Tandy Hills information is the fact that, apparently, way back in the 1960s, Fort Worth had itself a progressive mayor who liked the precursors of hippies, that being beatniks.

How did Fort Worth go from having a progressive beatnik-loving mayor to the era of mayor entities like Kay Granger, Mike Moncrief and Betsy Price? Can you picture any of those three signing a "National Beatnik Week" proclamation?

Well, okay, to be totally fair, which I always am, I guess I can see Betsy Price signing such a proclamation. There is something about Mayor Betsy that makes me think she could easily have been an active hippie during the hippie era. It would not shock me to learn that Mayor Betsy was at Woodstock being a Grateful Dead groupie.

Then again, I am not at all sure the Grateful Dead were at Woodstock....

April 25 Historic Tandy Hills Prairie Fest Photo Op

Interesting incoming email from one of Olive the Prairie Dog's housemates, Don Young, about an opportunity to be in a photograph with a horde of North Texas fractivists at the 10th Anniversary Tandy Hills Prairie Fest, next month, on April 25.

The email in its entirety, plus I added Don Young's email address at the end, to help facilitate that RSVP request which is also at the end of the email...

Greetings north Texas Barnett Shale fractivists-

For the past few years I have dreamed of gathering all north Texas fracktivists together at one place and time for a group photo. But the tremendous growth of the movement since 2004 made the the possibility of that happening somewhat daunting.

But I like to dream big, so....with the 10th anniversary of Prairie Fest coming on April 25, the time is right. Are you in?

Why Prairie Fest? As some of you know, Prairie Fest began in 2006 as the first major public event / protest / festival / push-back to bring attention to threatened gas drilling at Tandy Hills Natural Area in Fort Worth. State Rep. Lon Burnam was the keynote speaker. The term, "fracktivist" didn't yet exist but the goal was the same. Keep drilling out of our neighborhoods and raise awareness of the impacts and dangers.

In 2004, a small group of concerned neighbors started the group, Friends of Tandy Hills. We were NIMBY's. After the first ever public protest against fracking and a few key reports by Jeff Prince in the Fort Worth Weekly, Friends of Tandy Hills morphed into FWCANDO (Fort Worth Citizens Against Neighborhood Drilling Operations) and our small group connected up with others in the Barnett, both urban AND rural. Next thing you know, a corp of international media was knocking on my door and a guy named Josh Fox was sleeping on my couch, taking notes about a little film project. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then.

With notable exceptions, victories in the Barnett have been few and far between but, ten years later, awareness has never been greater. Participation in push-back against drilling and fracking is at an all-time high. Organizations and individuals not on-board in 2006 are now leading the charge. Tandy Hills is well protected. Prairie Fest, a solar-powered event, has helped demonstrate the importance of connecting with and protecting the natural world. Friends of Tandy Hills have sponsored field trips for thousands of kids. The tide is turning.

Please join me at Prairie Fest on April 25 for a group photo to celebrate 10 years of fighting the fracking monster. It will be a rare opportunity to meet and make connections with fellow fractivists. A professional photographer will capture the moment. Exact time of photo will be announced soon. I'm making a list of participants so please, spread the word and....

RSVP email

Olive The Prairie Dog Official Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is In Wikipedia

This morning I Googled "Tandy Hills Natural Area" to learn that there is now a Wikipedia Tandy Hills Natural Area article.

I Googled "Tandy Hills Natural Area" because I was curious to see how the Tandy Hills was currently being indexed on Google.

A couple years ago Don Young emailed me asking if I could tell him why my Tandy Hills webpage, and various bloggings about the Tandy Hills, showed up in searches before the official Tandy Hills website.

I explained that my Tandy Hills webpage was likely getting ranked high by Google because I was linking to it every time I blogged about the Tandy Hills. I said I'd stopped doing that and that would likely fix the "problem".

So, I was pleased to see that the official Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area website now Googles #1. My Eyes on Texas Tandy Hills webpage is not only no longer #1, it doesn't not even show up on the first page of results!

The Wikipedia article about the Tandy Hills Natural Area is illustrated by a photo of Olive the Prairie Dog (Official Tandy Hills Mascot) playing in a field of wildflowers.

Below are the three paragraphs making up the Wikipedia article about the Tandy Hills Natural Area....

Tandy Hills Natural Area is a 160-acre (0.65 km2) indigenous remnant prairie located in Fort Worth, Texas. The land was obtained by the City of Fort Worth in 1960 and designated a natural area in 1987. The park is currently managed by the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.

Noted for its unusually complete collection of prairie flora, THNA contains more than 500 native plant species. The show of spring wildflowers is unsurpassed in the D/FW Metroplex. The land is a living demonstration of how most of Fort Worth appeared in predevelopment times.

THNA is adjacent to I-30 and less than 5 minutes from downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The fact that it has never been developed and survived into the 21st century in relatively pristine condition is extremely remarkable.

Olive The Prairie Dog Officially Anointed Official Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Natural Area

Olive the Prairie Dog
Official Mascot of the Tandy Hills

Today, in Don Young's Prairie Notes #66: Sea of Gold we learned  it is now official that Olive the Prairie Dog is the Official Mascot of the Tandy Hills.

Last month Olive the Prairie Dog had a lot of people being very concerned about Olive suddenly, mysteriously, disappearing.

And then suddenly a lot of people were very happy upon learning of the news of Olive's safe return.

In this month's Prairie Notes Don Young had this to say about Olive and her disappearance and return...

Debora and I were amazed by the overwhelming response to the disappearance and return of Olive the Prairie Dog. The hills are literally her front yard. As a pup, she took to them quite naturally, navigating the tall grass by leaping and floating like Michael Jordan to get her bearings. She knows the creeks and valleys like the back of her paw. She's known by every Rabbit and Roadrunner and loved by every Kid on the Prairie. So...

By all the power vested in me, I hereby anoint Olive the Prairie Dog, the Official Mascot of Tandy Hills Natural Area.

It's about time.

I went to the Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area website to see if the latest Prairie Notes were posted yet, so that I could link to them, to find they were not, but I did find a page about Olive the Prairie Dog where I saw my name mentioned in a way that made me feel good.

I like feeling good. It happens so seldom.

A Windy Blue Sky Under The Tandy Bamboo Teepee Today With No Missing Prairie Dogs

In the picture you are looking skyward under the remnants of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee.

It is well over a year, now, that a dozen, give or take a pole or two, bamboo poles appeared near the center of the Tandy Hills, in a small open area, surrounded by a grove of brush and trees, with several of the bamboo poles assembled into being what looked like the framework of a teepee.

The Tandy Bamboo Teepee has blown down a couple times, but always gets resurrected.

It remains a mystery who it was who brought these bamboo poles to the Tandy Hills. Hauling in all those poles would have required a bit of effort, carrying them up and down a minimum of two hills.

A very strong wind was blowing whilst I was getting my endorphin inducing aerobically stimulating hill hiking today in the noon time frame. So, even though the air was being heated to a temperature somewhere in the 80s, the wind chill factor had it almost feeling chilly.

On the way to the Tandy Hills I saw that the big Dog Missing billboard on Meadowbrook Drive had been removed. As had other Dog Missing posters along View Street.

So, when I saw the Dog Missing sign was still up at Town Talk, I took it down.

I have been asked if a Welcome Home Olive party type deal is being added to next Saturday's Prairie Fest x3 Part 3.

How would I know?

But, it sounds like a good idea. Olive the Prairie Dog strikes me as the type dog who likes a good party.

Olive The Prairie Dog Is Home!

I was just finishing the previous blogging, where I mentioned, again, Olive the Formerly Missing Prairie Dog, when I got a call from Big Ed telling me he'd just seen on Facebook that Olive has been returned home.

On Facebook this is what Don Young had to say....

Guess who's back? OLIVE the prairie dog! Don't ever think that plastering the town with lost dog signs is an overkill. We did an overkill and it paid off. A nice gentleman who works nearby saw Olive outside last Sunday and was concerned animal control might get her. A few days later he saw our big signs and today we got the call that many wish for but few ever receive. Debora and I are very grateful for all your prayers, lighted candles and positive thoughts.

I'm being amazed at how fast the news of Olive the Prairie Dog's return is spreading. I'm getting emails, blog comments and phone calls telling me this happy, good news.

The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Olive The Prairie Dog Is Still Missing

I just read the above on Facebook.

Sickening.

If it is true that cretins are snatching small dogs to use as bait in pit bull fights, then methinks, even more so, what I've already opined.

That being that the Fort Worth Police need to be on the case of the missing Mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Prairie Dog.

The 16th May Day Morning With Air Pollution Alerts, Alligators & Questions About Olive The Missing Prairie Dog

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this  16th May Day morning it was dark enough to set off the camera's flash, but the sun was up enough to see that this 3rd Wednesday of May is, so far, a totally clear blue sky day in North Texas.

A clear blue sky currently chilled to 63 degrees, heading to a high of 87, with the weather warners warning that the pollution in the air warrants and "Air Quality Alert."

At this point in time the quality of the air is not so bad that I have shut my windows.

This morning I had an email from one of my favorite Southern Belles, asking me if Olive the Missing Prairie Dog was "without a leash or collar?"

I know Olive was not wearing her collar when she went missing. Without a collar, I suspect no leash.

I hope the Olive the Missing Prairie Dog search team put one of her missing posters on the fence at Fort Woof in Gateway Park, a location that attracts a lot of dog lovers.

Changing the subject to something less lovable.

Trinity River Alligator Corpse

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I'd seen a disturbing gator picture on the WFAA's Facebook page. I had not.

Apparently the murder of an 11-foot 3-inch alligator is being investigated by the authorities who investigate such things.

The alligator was found by game wardens in the Trinity River at a location between Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth.

The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is between Eagle Mountain Lake and Fort Worth. There are signs in the Nature Center warning visitors to be cautious about alligators.

I know there have been many reports of alligators in Lake Worth. How do the gators get past Lake Worth Dam to get into the lake? On their trip upriver do the gators get out of the river when they come to the dam and walk around it? I've hiked in that location. It'd take a lot of effort, I would think, for a gator to get around that dam.

With this latest alligator incident I am really going to have to re-consider Elsie Hotpepper and me floating in the upcoming Rockin' the River With Alligators Happy Hour.

I Found A Terrier Today On The Tandy Hills But It Was Not Olive The Prairie Dog

This Is Not Olive The Prairie Dog

Today I was back on the Tandy Hills, looking for Olive the Prairie Dog, now missing for over 48 hours.

Until today Olive was the only terrier type dog I've seen on the Tandy Hills.

What are the astronomical chances that a terrier would run up to me today whilst I'm looking for a missing terrier?

I'd guess slim to none. But that is what happened.

But, it was not Olive.

I take it as a good omen type sign that I was visited by a terrier on the Tandy Hills today.

I also heard from my poodle nephews, Blue and Max, up in Tacoma, the caretakers of my nephews, David & Ryan and niece, Ruby, voicing their hope for the swift return of Olive...

Blue and Max have left a new comment on your post "Olive The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is Still Missing": 

We hope you find Olive real soon! 

I can imagine the brouhaha that would erupt in Tacoma if either Blue or Max went missing. Or if any of my sister in Kent's canine children, Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog, went missing.

The Humans Who Were With Today's Tandy Terrier

The investment in time and medical expenses spent on those canine children is incredible. Just Rosie the Rat Dog alone has had hip surgery, braces to fix her snaggletooth and is on several prescription medications.

Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog get to go on rather long roadtrips. Currently they are planning a 3 month excursion north via the Alaskan Highway, I think all the way to Nome.

I have not yet agreed to Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog's request that I head north to housesit for them while they are in Alaska.

Olive The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is Still Missing

The news that the mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Prairie Dog, has gone missing, is spreading.

Pegasus News, a website about news and entertainment in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone, is reporting the story of Olive the Missing Prairie Dog, in an article titled Canine mascot of Tandy Hills Natural Area is missing.

In the Pegasus News article, Don Young says Olive has never run off before and that, "she's extremely well cared for here, and I'm afraid that someone saw her and took her because she's so cute and so friendly. She seems, to us, like she's almost human. She has something in her eyes that you don't see in other dogs."


Olive was last seen Sunday morning, May 13 at 11:00 am, near her home on View Street across from Tandy Hills. Olive is a small, black, 20 pound mixed-terrier. She has a distinctive underbite and is very friendly, especially to children. She has a microchip ID implant but was not wearing a collar and had been recently bathed. There were many people visiting Tandy Hills on Sunday. Someone may have taken her.

If you see Olive or hear anything about her whereabouts please call Don & Debora Young at 817-731-2787.

I have not checked on FW Weekly to see if they are helping get the word out for their readers to be on the lookout for the missing Mascot of the Tandy Hills.

Olive the Prairie Dog gone missing is the local equivalent of Lassie or Rin Tin Tin or the Obama's Bo going missing.

Searching The Tandy Hills For Olive The Prairie Dog With A Blimp Overhead

Tandy Hills Lost Sunglasses Ridge

A blimp was overhead when I arrived on top of Mount Tandy today. I do not know if the blimp was helping with the doghunt for the missing Olive the Prairie Dog, or not.

I do not think the Tandy Hills suffered much, if any, deluging from Friday's downpours. The trails were dry, no mud. The creeks were dry, no water. Not a drop was flowing over Tandy Falls.

Due to the hills being totally easily accessed, without gaining height elevation due to sticky mud, I was able to search all over the hills for the missing Olive.

I know that a dognapping is the prime suspect as the reason for Olive's disappearance. But that seems so unlikely to me. What sort of monster would snatch a little dog that clearly belonged to someone?

Years ago, in Mount Vernon, before she moved to Texas, my cat, Hortense, disappeared. Hortense was a very well behaved cat with very predictable habits. She had a large outdoor safe area to play in. And then she went missing.

Click Picture To Find The Blimp

I put up signs around the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen Hortense. I talked to all my neighbors. Then, after 4 days of being missing, there was a familiar noise at the door. It was Hortense wanting to be let in. My next door neighbor had opened a shed and out popped Hortense. She must have been snooping and got trapped inside.

I wonder if Olive might have wandered in to some similar situation.

I'm guessing signs are being posted around the Tandy Hills neighborhood asking if anyone has seen Olive. A parent may see one of those signs and realize where that cute dog came from that the kids brought home on Sunday.

I'm optimistic Olive will be returned home.

Have You Seen Olive The Missing Prairie Dog?

Last night Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I knew Olive was missing? I replied, asking if she was talking about Olive the Prairie Dog. This morning Elsie replied in the affirmative.

But, by this morning I already knew it was Olive the Prairie Dog that had gone missing, having read the news on Facebook with the following message....

HELP us find Olive. Small black mixed breed with distinct underbite. Missing since 11 am Sunday. Last seen on View Street near Tandy Hills Park. No collar. Call 817-731-2787 if you find her. We fear she was snatched.

I last saw Olive at Prairie Fest x3 Part 1. At that point in time Olive was with one of the humans she takes care of, Debra Young.

Was Olive having fun playing in the open prairie across View Street from her abode and got caught up chasing a road runner or a bobcat? Did she then get lost somewhere on the Tandy Hills? Likely not, but I think I'll go to the Tandy Hills today and look for a missing Olive.