I Almost Made It All The Way To Pluto Tonight At The Prairie Fest

Prairie Fest 2012 Vendor Free

The entry to the Prairie Fest re-boot looks way different than the past few Prairie Fests, with no vendors on either side of the sidewalk. And beyond.

I did not realize, til I got there, that part of today's Prairie Fest Experience was a tour of the planets.

Near the entry to the planetary tour I ran into Olive the Prairie Dog and the young lady Olive keeps on a leash, Debra Young, who told me I should listen to the Planetary Guide's planetary spiel.

But, I knew my Adult Attention Deficit Disorder was in high gear and that listening to anything that took over 20 seconds was not a good idea.

Olive's leashee told me that the trail all the way to the freeway was strewn with planets, with Pluto being the final sun orbiter on display.

A Pair Of Tandy Hills Stroller Pushers

And so I took off on a tour of the planets.

Imagine my disappointment when I got to where I thought Pluto should be, to find Neptune. With no Pluto to be seen.

I was later told Pluto had lost its planet status.

I am a bit uncertain why the Tandy Hills is embroiled in this Pluto planetary brouhaha.

I don't think I've ever seen so many people out walking on the Tandy Hills' trails as I saw tonight. I know I've never seen moms pushing babies in strollers before.

I overheard 3 different people remarking about their surprise at the views they were seeing. I actually heard one guy remark that the skyline looks beautiful from here.

This said at the location I regularly snap a picture of downtown Fort Worth and use verbiage something like "looking west at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth."

Fort Worth's Finest On The Tandy Trails

If I remember right, I'm being a bit sarcastic and a tad ironic when I use the "stunning skyline" verbiage. This guy tonight truly thought the view showed a beautiful skyline.

I must admit, the lighting was good. I should have taken a picture, but bemusement overtook me.

Last year I was sort of appalled at the number of Fort Worth police at the Prairie Fest. It seemed very excessive for such a peaceful event.

This year I only saw two Fort Worth police officers. A pair of lady cops. And this pair was not just leaning on their cop car dipping donuts into coffee, they were out patrolling the Tandy Trails looking for evildoers.

All in all, methinks this re-thought Prairie Fest was well thought out.

Next month maybe misters need to be a cooling option. And, for sure, by the HOT time of the May Prairie Fest.

The Tandy Hills Are All Greened Up & Ready For Prairie Fest 2012 Part One

In the picture you are looking at the vast prairie atop Mount Tandy on the eastern edge of the Tandy Hills Natural Area, where, in a couple hours Prairie Fest 2012 Part One will begin.

I expect to arrive, with my picnic basket, some time between 4 and 5.

On my way to the top of Mount Tandy, today, I saw Prairie Fest signage installed, pointing the way to the Tandy Hills.

I have not heard from Elsie Hotpepper regarding if she is going to be at the Prairie Fest today. I will have a jar of peanuts with me in case Elsie is there and is in need of a feeding, which is usually the case at these type events attended by Elsie Hotpepper.

So far it is not too HOT. Only 73 degrees. I suspect it will be in the 80s by the time the Prairie Fest bands begin making noise. Maybe I should bring a bumbershoot with me to provide shade.

I learned last night that Fort Worth native, MKB, currently exiled in Tacoma, is returning to D/FW for a visit in July. July is much too late for MKB to be attending any of 2012's Prairie Fests.

But, MKB will be in Fort Worth just in time to have fun in the Trinity River at one of the Rockin' the River Inner Tube Happy Hours.

I forgot to mention, today I was back in light as a feather mode zipping up the Tandy Hills, which would seem to indicate that that which had been ailing me has completely abated. I am pleased about that.

Prairie Fest X3 Part 1 Today At 4 On The Tandy Hills

Come celebrate your connection to the natural world!

EVENT  HOURS: 4 PM - Dusk

STAGE  SCHEDULE
4pm  Matthew Broyles
5pm  Barbara Taylor
6pm  Trinity Dogs
7pm  Ginny Mac

SOLAR-POWERED  BY: The Solar Shuttle, North Texas Renewable Energy and that big ball o' fire in the sky.

DISCOVERY  HIKES  FOR KIDS  &  FAMILIES: 4 - 6 PM.

Led by the amazing Earth teacher, Heather Foote, of Prairie Keepers. This one will fill up fast so arrive early.

Discovery Hikes sponsored exclusively by Whole Foods Market.

PRAIRIE-WILDFLOWER  HIKES: 4 - 6 PM

Walking tours organized by the Google of Wildflowers, Suzanne Tuttle, of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge and led by Master Naturalist volunteers.

FOOD  &  DRINK:
Chadra Mezza & Grill will offer samplings from the Mediterranean-style menu made famous at their venerable restaurant.

Good Karma Kitchen will be serving vegetarian and vegan options out of their famous food truck named, Lucy.

New Belgium Brewing and Rahr & Sons Brewing beers/ales will be available at the Chadra tent.

IMPROMPTU  PRAIRIE:
The big open space that used to have vendors is now your personal playground for kite-flying, frisbee throwing, dog-chasing and picnicking.

The Final Day Of March Dawns With Birds Chirping & 100% Humidity With Prairie Fest 2012 Part One Later Today

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this final day of the 3rd month of 2012 all I can see in the pre-dawn darkness is a swimming pool looking unnaturally blue.

We are still at 100% humidity at this opposite of a desert part of the planet. Chilled, this morning, to 64 degrees.

The predicted high for today has been dropped a degree, to 89.

That chillier temperature should make for a more pleasant Prairie Fest Part One, starting at 4 this afternoon on the Tandy Hills, which will be rocking to the sound of music.

I have my windows open this morning and I must say I am enjoying a rather complex symphony courtesy of a variety of birds who are sounding very happy. The birds must like high humidity.

I think I will go swimming now to try and cool off before it gets any hotter.

This Morning Is Finally The Final Friday Of March With Tomorrow Being The Final Saturday & Prairie Fest 2012 Part One

Stepping outside to my secondary viewing portal on the outer world, in the pre-dawn darkness, on this final Friday of the 3rd month of 2012, confirms that the pool illumination is in malfunction mode.

My air-conditioner malfunctioned and now this? How much hardship is one person supposed to bear?

Currently at my location the pre-dawn air is chilled to 68 degrees. And, according to my computer based weather monitoring device, it is foggy again this morning.

Fog so far from the ocean and any other large body of water always seems very odd to me.

Today is scheduled to heat up to 84 degrees. Tomorrow we are currently scheduled to hit 90 for the first time, I believe, this year.

Since tomorrow is the final Saturday of March, it is Part 1 of 2012's three-part Prairie Festival.

Tomorrow I currently plan to go hiking on the Tandy Hills in the noon time frame and then return at 4 in the afternoon, which is when the Tandy Hills turn festive with the start of Prairie Fest. I expect there to be a large crowd of revelers reveling.

I may go to the Tandy Hills today, weather conditions permitting. Before I do that I am going to go swimming as soon as Mother Nature decides to provide some natural illumination.

The Fading Shadow Of The Arizona Thin Man The Morning Of The 4th Saturday Of March Hunting Bougainvillea

In the picture, in the lower right corner, you can see part of the Shadow of the Arizona Thin Man, looking out his primary viewing portal on the outer world on this 4th Saturday of the 3rd month of 2012.

It is currently 61 degrees at my current location, heading to a predicted high of 85. Later today I will likely be heading back to my current home zone, in Texas, where for the second day in a row it is colder than my current location, at 53 degrees, heading to a predicted high of 83.

I suspect it is significantly more humid where I am heading than where I am now.

I also have reason to believe, due to reports I have received, that the landscape of North Texas has decided to put on a Super Spectacular wildflower display this year.

Next Saturday, on the Tandy Hills, part 1 of Prairie Fest 2012, takes place.

Weather permitting, I am thinking I will be checking out Prairie Fest 2012, Part 1.

Next Saturday should be the coolest, temperature-wise, of the three part, 2012, Prairie Fest. Part 3, in May, should be quite warm. Likely there will be some sort of eco-friendly cooling devices. Perhaps out of school kids armed with spray bottles.

I think I may go swimming again this morning. My mom and dad are driving south to Maricopa to go to a nursery to get a colorful Bougainvillea bush. Maricopa is about 30 miles south of the Phoenix metro zone. Apparently there are no Bougainvillea bushes available for sale in the Phoenix metro zone. Or maybe they are a dime cheaper.

I have been breathing and sleeping so well here in Arizona, I am sort of not looking forward to re-adjusting to consuming seriously polluted air that clogs up my respiratory system and makes my eyes water. But, that is a really small price to pay to get to experience the wonders of Texas.

I am particularly looking forward to returning to a place where the people are properly inflated, instead of this strange Arizona zone where most of the people appear to have had the air let out of them. Deflated people may be a bit more aesthetically appealing to look at, for some, but, during the course of my exile in Texas I have grown to like seeing my humans inflated. I guess I've just gotten used to the fact that everything is bigger in Texas.

See You At Prairie Fest 1 Saturday March 31 On The Tandy Hills

Previous to today I thought that due to the fact that I will be a thousand miles distant on the occasion of the first of the 3 part Prairie Fests of 2012, that I would not be able to do any March Prairie Festing.

As I so often do, I thought wrong.

I had erroneously thought that the Prairie Fests were happening on the next to last Saturday of March, April and May.

However, I have now learned, from the Don of the Tandy Hills, that the Prairie Fests will be happening on the final Saturdays of March, April and May.

So, I should be back in the D/FW Metroplex in plenty of time to do myself some Prairie Festing.

I like the changes made to the Prairie Fest. Having vendors and displays seemed an awful lot of bother, to me, for a one day event, with that event being very vulnerable to weather calamity.

That, and last year I really did not like the vendor calamity I found myself in when I found myself helping man the TRIP booth, when suddenly, in mid Prairie Fest, I am told it is time to dismantle our booth. And so I helped doing so, hauling all sorts of heavy things, like building blocks, through the festival grounds.

At one point I lost control of my building blocks and almost did serious damage to a young lady sitting on a hay bale.

To this day I do not know what the reason was for the sudden TRIP evacuation from the Prairie Fest. I tend not to ask questions, with it much easier simply to follow orders when being told what to do by a dominant female who packs heat.