Sikes Lake Prickly Pear Cactus On Chilly Walkabout

Sikes Lake was my go to location for a long walk this chilly Tuesday morning, a day before the Ides of March.

Chilly, in that the temperature was in the mid 40s.

Meanwhile, this morning I got snow reports from two unlikely locations.

That little darling, known as Miss Tessie, located in the Redding, California area, had enough snow on the ground to make her leery of trying to drive anywhere.

And that bigger darling, known as Madame McNutty, had snow falling, but not sticking at her location in Appomattox, Virginia.

I might get some rain at my location, today, but no chance of snow.

I forgot to mention, that is a patch of Sikes Lake Prickly Pear Cactus you see photo documented above.

Prickly Pear Cactus, in the Spring, produce a flower that turns into an edible fruit-like product. People make various edible items from Prickly Pears.

I have had Prickly Pear jam and Prickly Pear syrup. Terribly sweet with no noteworthy flavor.

Circle Trail Centipede Encounters With Prickly Pear Cactus

Today my bike decided to take me north on the Circle Trail further than I have gone in a long long time.

About a mile north of Hamilton Park the Circle Trail comes to the Prickly Pear Cactus Orchard you see above. This orchard appears slightly south of where the Circle Trail crosses under Holliday Road, which you can also see in the photo above.

Going north on the Circle Trail eventually passes under a couple freeways, making for a lot of cement overhead. Soon thereafter the Circle Trail enters an undeveloped zone making it seem as if one has left the city and is out in the wild country.

Eventually the Circle Trail returns to civilization, around the point where the gazebo you see below shows up. As soon as I got off the bike to get out the phone I looked down on the ground and saw the biggest centipede I have ever seen. I did not know those critters got so big. It was big enough that I reacted the same way I do when a snake slithers too close. As in I shuddered. By the time I got the phone to turn on the camera the centipede had waddled out of sight.

You can not tell it via the photo, but the gazebo overlooks a bit of a gorge, with the Circle Trail crossing the gorge and then going down a slope for a quarter mile, give or take a foot or two. About a mile past the gazebo I decided I had gone far enough.

Turning around I quickly realized I had had the wind at my back as I pedaled north. This made for a more strenuous bout of pedaling heading back south, against the wind.

I think tomorrow my bike and me will take a break from pedaling...

A New Tandy Hills Hoodoo With Prickly Pears & People Conferencing About The State Of The Prairie

Today I was pleased to see a four piece new Hoodoo has risen at Hoodoo Central at the north end of the View Street trail in the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Once again the weather predictors have predicted potential thunderstorms for my vicinity. So far the sky does not look too menacing, as you can see by that which is hovering above the new Hoodoo.

Yesterday's predicted thunderstorms never materialized at my location, though the sky did look menacing a time or two.

The temperature was in the low 80s when I did my hill hiking today. Not too hot but I got HOT.

Today on Facebook someone suggested if one combined the color of ones underwear with the name of that which one had just eaten that this would be the name of your band.  As in rock type band, I assume.

I was Commando Banana.

I was also Commando Banana on the Tandy Hills today, trying to keep cool in minimalist attire which consisted solely of shoes and seriously ripped cargo shorts. And yet I got HOT. How is it I manage to do hill hiking when the temperature hits triple digits I was wondering to myself today.

Perhaps I have layered on some adipose tissue of which I am unaware, or in denial about, which is providing un-needed insulation and thus causing me to get too HOT.

At one point today whilst doing my hill hiking I glanced off to the south and saw the scene you see below.

This group is assembled at the Tandy Hills amphitheater which consists of 8 benches. Or is it 9? I suspect this group is the State of the Prairie Conference people I mentioned earlier today. I did not get close enough to ascertain for certain that this was the Prairie People having their conference.

Conferences make me nervous, and so I keep my distance.

A short time after seeing the collective of people in possible conference mode I came upon that which you see below.

A collective of Prickly Pear Cactus in conference mode. Prickly Pear Cactus make a delicate yellow flower as part of their Prickly Pear making process.

Seeing Prickly Pear Cactus in bloom mode reminded me I am about out of Prickly Pear Syrup.

No. I don't harvest Prickly Pears from the Tandy Hills and then render the Pears into Syrup. I get my Prickly Pear Syrup from Town Talk.

I suspect I may be rolling my bike's wheels on the Gateway Park mountain bike trails tomorrow prior to going to Town Town and possibly remembering to hunt for Prickly Pear Syrup.....

Risking Rolling My Wheels Over Fort Worth's Mallard Cove Park's High Pressure Natural Gas Pipeline

Last night we were warned that the temperature could possibly dip to the freezing zone.

I was under blankets last night for the first time in awhile, but, when I woke up my temperature monitoring devices this morning, I saw that the pre-dawn temperature was several  degrees above freezing.

Yet somehow this morning there appeared to be frost on the roof that I gaze upon during my regularly scheduled hot tub hydrotherapy session.

Due to that predicted freeze I did not think I'd be in the once again cool pool this morning. But, after getting too hot in the hot tub I thought I'd take a quick cooling dip. And found the water in the pool was way less cool than the air.

Around noon I drove to the post office to mail a letter to the IRS in Austin. Then I headed south to Mallard Cove Park to roll my bike's wheels. That would be Mallard Cove you are looking at above, with the coolest looking rock picnic table I've ever seen, in the foreground.

In the picture on the right you are looking at my handlebars pointing at one of the many natural gas pipeline warning posts stuck in the ground in this particular park.

Last Wednesday I rolled my wheels around Mallard Cove and blogged about it, and asked a question about the Fort Worth signature benches installed in this park.

That question generated an interesting blog comment from someone named Dub Kennedy...

Dub Kennedy has left a new comment on your post "Rolling My New Tires To Fort Worth's Mallard Cove":

"I have never seen anyone sitting on one of these benches. How much do they cost, I can not help but wonder?"

I'm guessing that Chesapeake or some other energy company picked up the tab for this park.

I have little doubt that natural gas pipelines run underneath this so-called park. I say so-called because a parcel of land with nothing more than concrete trails doesn't make a park in my opinion. 

Another so-called park similar to Mallard Cove park was built near the Rockwood golf course in northwest Fort Worth and was paid for by natural gas producers. I know for certain that at least one gas pipeline runs under that park.

Well, Dub is correct, in that there is a Chesapeake installation just outside the west end of this "park", along with 18 or 19 GAS WARNING posts stuck in the ground  inside the park, marking a pipeline route. Plus one HUGE curved pipe stuck in a cement block, which I assume is gas related.

Below is a closeup view of the warning post my bike's handlebars are pointing towards.

I can read the words "HIGH PRESSURE" near the top of the GAS WARNING post. Is this non-odorized highly pressured gas?

Dub says a parcel of land with some paved trails does not a park make.

I agree with Dub that a parcel of land with some paved trails does not make a park, but, in addition to the paved trails Mallard Cove Park has those aforementioned benches, plus the also aforementioned rock picnic table, plus the never before mentioned gazebo-like covered picnic table structure, plus wide expanses of grassy weeds, which are infrequently mowed and some rather stately old big trees.

And giant prickly pear cacti, as in the biggest patches of prickly pear cactus I've ever seen. Not that I've done all that much prickly pear cactus hunting....

Not Seeing Beautiful Downtown Fort Worth From The Tandy Hills While Walking To Albertsons With Prickly Pear Cactus

It seems like weeks since I last availed myself of the scenic beauty of the Tandy Hills and its view of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth from high atop Mount Tandy.

Today, with the sun being a bit blocked by clouds and the temperature a relatively chilly 86, I thought I might have myself a really fine time doing some Tandy Hills hill hiking.

But, I was not in the mood to drive anywhere.

That and I overdid either bike riding, yesterday, or swimming, prior to yesterday's bike riding.

Whatever the cause, my legs were feeling as if they had had plenty of exercise.

So, no, that is not a Prickly Pear Cactus patch growing on the Tandy Hills that you see above. It is a Prickly Pear Cactus patch I came upon in Mallard Cove Park on Wednesday.

Today, rather than driving anywhere to get more sore hiking or biking, I walked up the hill to my local Albertsons to get myself this week's ink edition of DFW.com.

This morning, when I was in the pool a little past the arrival of the sun, the sky was mostly blue. During the course of my time in the pool clouds began to slowly turn the sky from blue to gray.

Thunderstorms and rain are in the forecast today.

By the time I was out of the pool and hanging my swimming suit on the drying clothesline a few drops were falling from the sky.

The wet drops falling from the sky did not drop long enough to damp up the outer world at my location.

I suspect before today is done I will be seeing some extreme dampness and hear some extreme thunder booming.

A Texas Blue Sky Columbus Day With Prickly Pears & Long Lost Cousin Freddy Found

As you can see via the top part of the picture, blue sky has returned to North Texas, after several days in a row of no sun.

With the return of the sun I returned to the Tandy Hills for the first time in what seems a long time.

I was overdressed when I departed my abode, with a sweatshirt over a t-shirt and a wool cap crowning my cranium.

By the time I got to the top of Mount Tandy it was obvious that the solar radiation was radiating sufficient warmth that the sweatshirt and cap could be doffed. And so they were.

I think I must have had a nightmare about my favorite patch of Tandy Hills prickly pear cactus being missing its prickly pears, because when I came upon the patch of prickly pear cactus you see in the picture I was surprised by the horde of prickly pears. This particular prickly pear cactus patch is the only one I make note of whilst hiking the Tandy Hills. So, it can't be some other patch of cactus that I saw missing its prickly pears, it had to be a nightmare related confusion.

I would have harvested this horde of prickly pears to make prickly pear jam, except for a couple reasons. One being I have no idea how to make any sort of jam. With the other reason being that one should not harvest anything from a natural area like the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Unless you are Don Young and need a Christmas tree.

Changing the subject from prickly pears to something else.

My mom called me late last night to tell me my long lost cousin Freddy (aka Kurt) called. Mom said it was real good to hear from Freddy and, for me, it was real good to hear from mom that she'd heard from Freddy.

Apparently cousin Freddy's wife's parental units also live in Arizona, with cousin Freddy and his family visiting once a year, usually in March. So, my mom wants me to fly to Phoenix in March for a Cousin Reunion at my sister's house. I'm onboard. Sounds fun.

I have not seen cousin Freddy in decades. Freddy grew up in Alaska. The last time I saw cousin Freddy he was visiting Washington when he was, I think, around 8 years old. I recollect cousin Freddy and his mom, my Aunt Mike, being out on Samish Island, and me driving cousin Freddy to McDonald's in Mount Vernon in my classic 65 Fastback Mustang.

Trouble with that memory is my sister, she being the sister whose husband runs a McDonald's empire, told me McDonald's had not arrived in Mount Vernon, yet, at that point in time.

Maybe I drove cousin Freddy to the Kow Korner and my damned age-related memory woes have confused me. Again.

I did not realize til this afternoon that today was Columbus Day, that being the day a European discovered America, even though America was not un-discovered and was populated by people at the time. Columbus did some pillaging and kidnapped some of the natives to take them back to Europe as exhibits, where they died.

Knowing what we now know, in our more enlightened times, I really don't think we should be having an annual Columbus Day.

On The Tandy Hills Hunting Prickly Pears With 72 Avocados

Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus Without Pears

I woke up at 4 this morning, and have been awake ever since. I should be more tired than I am.

The arrival of colder air, with air replacement brought by the wind that arrived with the colder air, and the slight amount of rain scrubbing the dirty air, has not removed from the air that I breathe whatever it is that causes me to go into spasms of allergic reaction.

All was fine, today, til, after swimming this afternoon, post Tandy Hills hiking and lunch, when, upon finishing with swimming, I was peacefully relaxing on a poolside lounge when suddenly my breathing tubes ceased working,  forcing me to use my oral orifice to acquire oxygen.

I do not like being a mouth breather. I have a very strong aversion to mouth breathing and mouth breathers. This has been a lifelong aversion and is part of my matrix of aversions under the general heading of being averse to slobbiness in any of its many forms.

If I am not making much sense I beg your pardon and ask that you realize my cerebral bloodflow is likely being impacted by my breathing woes.

I hiked the Tandy Hills today with my harvesting bag in hand. It is that time of year when I harvest Prickly Pears from the Prickly Pear Cactus, so I can make Prickly Pear Jam to put in the Christmas Boxes that the multitudes enjoy getting from me.

Okay, the only part of the above paragraph that was actually true was I did hike the Tandy Hills. I don't harvest Prickly Pears, make jam or send anyone a Christmas Box.

I just wanted to see how gullible you are. Were you gullible and wondering why you have never received a Christmas Box from me?

I did notice an absence of Prickly Pears on the Prickly Pear Cactus today. Maybe someone has come along and harvested them.

Speaking of harvesting.

I had some good harvesting at Town Talk today. But what am I going to do with a case of Avocados? 72 very big Avocados. I like Avocados. I like Guacamole. But, 72 Avocados?

I also harvested some very big yellow peppers. But not a case. Only 6.

Making A Prairie Note Of Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus

The Prickly Pear Cactus patch, on Lost Sunglasses Ridge, on the Tandy Hills, that I've been keeping an eye on due to the many blooms and their future harvest potential when the blooms turn into pears, was looking particularly fruitful today.

All of the Tandy Hills was looking particularly fruitful today. I've never seen the prairie vegetation as it is being this particular spring.

Apparently a group of Fort Worth school children have been hiking the trails of the Tandy Hills. I came to this conclusion today when I came upon dozen of orange flags stuck in the ground, most of which simply said "FWISD" on them.

Some of the orange flags had messages on them, like, "Help the Others", or "View St. This Direction".

The May Prairie Notes arrived this morning. In his Prairie Notes Don Young waxes quite poetically about the current state of the Tandy Hills....

The Tandy Hills are so lush and beautifully painted with wildflowers right now that, to walk upon them feels like an unspeakable act of cruelty. Standing on the trail, I watch the western sunlight cut through the living, breathing canvas rooted in ancient limestone and nurtured by micro-organisms, earthworms, lizards and crawling insects revealing a tangle of Sensitive-Briar covered in pink puff-balls and colored currents of standing wildflowers in colorwheel-shades of yellow, white, purple, red and blue supported by delicate green stems and what seems to be billions and billions of butterflies, moths, dragonflies and bees zooming, spiraling and humming in mad harmony above the swaying wildflowers as pairs of Rabbits and Roadrunners scatter scurry and birds of all colors and sizes float and feed like Martha Graham dancers in the clear blue sky above the mysterious, rare, sweet-scented prairie in this most natural of worlds.

It's an Ode to Joy, it's a Hallelujah, it's a Starry Night, it's La Dolce Vita, it's Lomas de Flores, it's Le Prairie #5. It's got everything on it. Come on in and get re-connected with YOUR natural world.

Methinks the numbers are increasing of people taking the suggestion that they re-connect with the natural world. I see more people than I've ever seen in the various parks I visit.

Checking Out The Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus Orchards Before Going To A Texas Rangers Themed Town Talk With Flappers At Wal-Mart

A Pair Of Prickly Pairs Almost Ripe For The Picking

On my way to Town Talk today I decided to check in on the Tandy Hills. I rarely experience a visit to the Tandy Hills without coming upon something perplexing or mysterious.

I think the Tandy Hills may be the Twin Peaks of Texas.

My primary reason for visiting the Tandy Hills today was to check in on Prickly Pear Cactus Orchards I have been closely monitoring.

Why would I be closely monitoring the Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus Orchards you are possibly wondering to yourself.

Well. The Prickly Pear Cactus, in addition to producing prickly needles, also produces edible fruit. That would be the red pears you see in the photo, sitting on top of the Prickly Cactus.

Prickly Pears can be consumed in a variety of ways. I like Prickly Pear mixed in with lemonade. I also like Prickly Pear Jelly. It's very easy to make. Below is my favorite Prickly Pear recipe....

PRICKLY PEAR JELLY  
1 gal. prickly pear cactus fruit, very ripe, deep garnet color
4 c. juice
4 c. sugar
2 pkgs. fruit pectin
Gather the fruit using tong and gloves. Put fruit in sink with water. Using tongs, swish in water to remove stickers. Cut fruit in half. Place in large pan. Boil until fruit is shriveled. Mash with potato masher. Strain through jelly bag or cheese cloth. Bring juice and pectin to boil. Add sugar and boil to jelly stage. Pour into jelly glasses and seal.

Is garnet another way of saying "red?" I have no idea. I suppose I could look it up.

Town Talkers In Texas Rangers Championship T-Shirts

After surveying the Prickly Pear Cactus crop it was on to Town Talk and Super Wal-Mart, with the Wal-Mart made necessary due to the need for a bread product.

I was not long in to Town Talk when I noticed that all the people who work at Town Talk were in blue Texas Rangers Championship t-shirts.

Being a transplant I'm thinking I am not quite getting caught up in the excitement the locals seems to be experiencing regarding the World Series coming to town.

This World Series excitement thing was further in evidence at the Beach Street Wal-Mart. The greeter at one door was dressed like a Roaring 20s Flapper. The greeter at the other door was dressed like a princess. The store was busy, real busy, the day before Thanksgiving level of busy.

As I walked past the deli I saw a big sign advertising a Game Day Special of 100 pieces of fried chicken for $68.00. Usually it is 8 pieces for $5.88. I am math challenged so it is beyond my calculating ability to determine if it is a bargain to get 100 pieces of fried chicken for $68.00.

When the Super Bowl came to town I hauled myself down to the Cowboys Stadium zone a couple times to check out the madness. I do not feel similarly drawn to haul myself down to the Ballpark in Arlington zone to check out whatever madness may be going on there.

With about 3 and a half hours to go before the start of the 3rd game of the 2011 World Series, clouds have begun to blow in. Those clouds would seem to need to greatly increase if they have any hope of raining out tonight's game.

Walking Through The Field Of Color On Top Of Fort Worth's Mount Tandy Along With Prickly Pear Cactus

You can intuit two things from the picture. One is that Tuesday, in my zone of Texas, is a bit gray with a cloudy overcast.

But, under that cover of gray, today, the top of Mount Tandy was being very colorful. Recent rain, sunny days and warm temps have conspired to make it necessary to navigate a sea of color whilst crossing the top of Mount Tandy.

Even though I had myself a night of insomnia, last night, I was up early, in the pool, soon after the arrival of the sun.

This morning I got a very mysterious cryptic message asking me what I thought about doing a newscast. Me doing a newscast? Casting what news? Am I a newscaster and did not know it?

Last week I talked on the phone with Betty Jo Bouvier and Carlotta Camano for the first time in years. Why does it so often seem that when I talk to someone on the phone I never hear from them again? Maybe I need to call myself and see if I can figure out what I do that causes people to disappear.

On a lighter note, I heard from Gar the Texan today, via email, for the first time in a long time. I have Gar the Texan's phone number. I should call him and see if I ever hear from him again.

I forgot to mention, the prickly pear cactus on the Tandy Hills were in full yellow bloom mode today. Soon I will be able to pick prickly pears and make my annual batch of prickly pear jam.

Or not.

UPDATE: Soon after I mentioned that I'd not heard from Betty Jo Bouvier ever since I talked to her on the phone, she called me. But the prefix was alien to me, so I let it go to Voice Mail. Usually the unknown pre-fixes want to give me a free trip or get me to subscribe to a newspaper. Why is Betty Jo calling from the 181 Area Code? I must look it up and see where Betty Jo is. Yikes! 181 is a country code. Betty Jo is in India.

14th Day In A Row Over 100 Hiking With Decapitated Tandy Hills Prickly Pear Cactus

You are looking at a patch of decapitated Prickly Pear Cactus, sliced off by a mad mower on the Tandy Hills. I don't know what provoked this act of destruction. No crime scene tape was seen on the scene.

I was on the hills hiking before the temperature went over the 100 degree mark, making this Friday the 13th the 14th day in a row we have gone over 100 in North Texas.

My pool is no longer all that refreshing. I like a jolt of cold in my swimming water. I don't like the sensation that feels like swimming in a big pool of hot sweat.

There was a slight breeze blowing on the Tandy Hills today. This made the HEAT tolerable. Somewhat.

Betty Jo Bouvier, the Wild Woman of Woolley, is braving Washington's 90 degree scorcher today to go to the Skagit County Fair to imbibe in the Homebrew Competition.

The State Fair of Texas, in Dallas, starts up next month, I think. How come there is no Homebrew Competition at the Texas State Fair? It's not in a dry zone.

A Seattle Space Needle like tower is to be added to Fair Park, that being the location of the State Fair of Texas. I don't think I've been to the Fair Park zone of Dallas since my mom and dad were here the first week of 2009. For all I know Fair Park's Space Needle like tower is ready to open for the upcoming fair. But I suspect not.

I did not HEAT up too excessively with my hill hiking today. But, I did head for the Town Talk cooler afterwards for some refreshing frigidity.

Calling Mom Prickly Pears Tandy Hills & Spencer Jack

I need no help identifying the new "wildflower" I saw blooming on the Tandy Hills today. What I don't know is if it is actually a wildflower. What I do know is the flower pops out of prickly pear cactus. And then turns into an edible prickly pear.

In addition to prickly pear cactus blooms, I've had me a day. I got up around 4 this morning.

Sometime after getting out of bed, but before getting into the pool, I logged in to Facebook and saw a surprising bit of news from the Queen of Wink. We need not go into details. Suffice to say I submitted a formal inquiry to the Queen and she alleviated me of my concern.

By mid-morning Elsie Hotpepper was obsessing over getting into a car with a stranger. I had trouble understanding the obsession. But did my best to alleviate Elsie of her concern.

A bit before noon I headed up to Euless. I had to get gas on the way, so I called my mom, like I always do when I get gas. Mom was being in chatty mode. So, we chatted. I learned that my little great nephew, Spencer Jack, attended my Uncle Mel's funeral. Spencer Jack is named after my dad, Jack, and my ex-wife, who's last name is Spencer. My nephew, Spencer's dad, had been told you can't go wrong naming your kid after your richest relative. I believe Spencer's namesake was also at the funeral.

Don't I have interesting family dynamics?

I talked to my mom til I got to my destination, La Hacienda Ranch, in Euless. I was meeting up with Miss de Loca for lunch.

I over ate.

On the way back here, from Euless, I called my sister in Phoenix. My sister in Phoenix is the go to girl if I want to know what's going on with my relatives. She's an accurate, coherent, rational reporter.

I got back here a bit before 3. A short time after that, with it being in the 90s, I decided I needed to overheat on the Tandy Hills. And so I did.

It is now almost 6. I'm ready for this day to be over.

Prickly Pear Cactus Stir Fry From The Warm Tandy Hills In Fort Worth

Today was the 6th day in a row I've gone aerobic on the Tandy Hills, thus ending my weight gaining period of excessive sloth.

It was in the 50s. 50s! When I went hiking today. No coat, no long underwear, or short underwear, for that matter, no gloves, no stocking cap.

It is like a beautiful early spring day out there.

Tomorrow morning I'm returning to my getting in the pool routine.

Happy days are here again.

I was making stir fry for lunch so I risked the wrath of the hyper-sensitive Fort Worth Parks Department by taking a Prickly Pear Cactus Ear to add to my stir fry. I have now had lunch and I must say this was the best stir fry I've made in awhile.

I was being just a bit depressed, physically, during this long long deep freeze we've been subjected to, here in usually pleasant North Texas. Six days out there is no predicted return to that unpleasant freezing business.

Interesting thing at the Tandy Hills today. Ice remained. Even though the temperatures have gotten well above freezing for a couple days now. I hiked on the west side of the main Tandy trail today, looking once more for the illusive Witchey Tree and Death Van, which I'm beginning to believe was a fabrication of a very fertile Halloween imagination.

That is ice still freezing at the bottom of Tandy Canyon, today, that you see in the picture on the right. It did feel a bit colder in Tandy Canyon than it did when I was out where the sun was able to shine. But still having solid ice seemed a bit extreme.

I am thinking of making an emergency trip to Oahu. I've had reports that one of my all time favorite people needs someone to cook for her and make her eat. I think she needs a Houseboy at her command for awhile. I'm a really good Houseboy. I've got references.