The Former Queen Of Assumption Miss Julie's Armadillos

This morning on Facebook (or was it last night?), Miss Julie, formerly known as the Queen of Assumption, shared a video of a pet armadillo having itself a mighty fine time being a playful housepet.

Miss Julie's armadillo video brought about an amusing series of comments about armadillos, including details from someone who had had personal experience with having a pet armadillo.

I was among those making a comment, with my comment mentioning a time I had myself an encounter with two packs of baby armadillos in Arlington's River Legacy Park

I was sure I could easily find the photo documentation of my encounter with the River Legacy armadillo babies. I recollect way back in 2005, at Lake Cushman on Hood Canal, in Washington, my dear Aunt Arlene asking if I had any armadillo pictures on the very laptop I am using right now. I recollect saying I did have armadillo pictures and proceeded to show my dear Aunt Arlene photos of the River Legacy Park baby armadillos.

I looked all through the Picassa album that tracks my photos, to no avail. Then I remembered that I likely used the River Legacy armadillo photos on my webpage about River Legacy Park. I looked there and quickly found a couple photos of the baby armadillos, including the one you see above.

Why have the armadillo pics disappeared from Picassa? This is not the first time I have had a disappeared picture mystery.

Anyway, below is the Queen of Assumption, I mean, Miss Julie's Facebook armadillo discussion, in part....

• Connie Dees and 6 others like this.
• 

  Christy Sly Wow, it's just nice to see one that's alive and not smushed on the road or made into a purse.

  20 hrs · Like · 2
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  Cindy Hoffmeister We had an armadillo living in our house in Nebraska for 3-4 years when I was growing up. 
  His name was Hairy Bellyfonte but we called him Butch. He used a cat litter box, was very clean and ate earthworms and raw eggs with mayonnaise. 
  He was hysterical and great friends with our cats and Great Dane. 
  Thanks for bringing up the memories!

  18 hrs · Like · 3
• 

  Mel Tanner Yeah, they're awesome until they turn on you and rip your face off..... Just kidding.

  16 hrs · Like · 3
• 

  Julie Hall How great, Cindy Hoffmeister! I had never heard of such a thing! I'll never look at them merely as deaf, blind garden pests again. 

  4 hrs · Like · 1
• 

  Durango Jones You have never picked up an armadillo, Miss Julie? They are very cuddly and make a cute high pitched squeal of delight. I came upon two sets of armadillo babies, on one day, years ago, at Arlington's River Legacy Park. Both sets had four babies. I got down on the ground to take pictures and they came over to me, with their mama not seeming to mind. You must learn not to pre-judge the animal kingdom. Those armadillos you judged deaf, blind garden pests easily may have thought the same of you......

  4 hrs · Like · 1
• 

  Cindy Hoffmeister Butch was a rescue pet! A friend found him, as a baby, beside his dead mother on a Texas highway. She brought him back to Nebraska, knowing my mother would figure out how to take care of him. He slept under my dresser, constantly pulling any clothes I left on the floor (a lot) under to make his nest. We eventually gave him to the 
  Henry Dorley Zoo in Omaha.

  4 hrs · Like · 1

Giant Tires & Bobcats Invade The Parched Tandy Hills

Lately it seems hardly a day goes by without yet one more Tandy Hills mystery.

White snails, bamboo teepees, frozen water, flooding creeks, giant tires, just to name a few of the Tandy Hills mysteries.

The Giant Tire is today's new Tandy Hills mystery. Actually it was two tires. One giant, the other not giant.

The Giant Tire is the Big Mystery. The Giant Tire arrived within the past 24 hours. It sits in the middle of Tandy Highway, near the creek crossing which recently flooded.

I thought maybe some kids had fun rolling the tire to this location. However, I saw no tire tracks.

I tried to lift the tire to its rolling position. It was too heavy, way too heavy. I could not budge it.

How did this Giant Tire get to this location?

Far away from the Giant Tire I found another tire that had arrived since yesterday. This one was located near the end of the trail that leads on to the Tandy Hills from the park on View Street.

As you can see, this is a little tire. With a view of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

A short time after discovering the second tire I came across something I've not seen on the Tandy Hills before.

A Bobcat.

I have had multiple Bobcat encounters at River Legacy Park in Arlington, and once at Quanah Parker Park near my abode.

I was about 50 feet from the Tandy Bobcat when I spotted it looking intensely at something, I assume lunch. As I reached for my camera the Bobcat spotted me and leaped into running mode before I could aim the camera at him.

This was the biggest Bobcat I've seen. It seemed a little skinny. I imagine times are tough on the Tandy Hills, food-wise, and definitely water-wise. Maybe the Tandy Bobcat has discovered the Tandy Roadrunner's water barrel.

Years ago, when I had my first Bobcat encounter, was during a period of time when there had been cougar sightings along the Trinity River.

I was on the River Legacy Park mountain bike trail when I saw a cat ahead of me. My imagination said cougar, at first, then I realized it was way smaller than a cougar. Still, I was certain its intent was to murder me and drag me to its lair.

I sort of over-reacted and turned around on the one-way trail and hurried out of there, going the wrong way til I made it back to civilization. I pedaled fast to find a park ranger to warn of the danger. If I remember right the park ranger giggled at me.

After that first Bobcat encounter I had many more, some documented on my River Legacy Park webpage. Years after that first Bobcat encounter I was pedaling on to the bike/hike bridge across the Trinity and saw a Bobcat walking on to the bridge from the other side. I continued on, as did he. We passed each other, sort of warily, at the middle of the bridge. I think I said something like "Howdy Kitty."

If I go to the Tandy Hills tomorrow for my regular Saturday hike, followed by a Town Talk visit, I wonder what new mystery I will find to mystify me? I hope it isn't anything that bites.

A July 6 Texas Morning Thinking About Gar's Googling & Feral Hogs

You are sitting out on my patio with me, drinking coffee, just after dawn cracked this first Tuesday of July.

As you can see, clouds have been totally removed from our North Texas sky. Or so it seems from my somewhat limited view of the horizon.

There was no early morning swimming for me today. The water in the pool is getting shocked. That means chemicals have been mixed in to keep the water crystal clear and sparkling.

This morning I read a shocking tale of Google Woes on Gar the Texan's Blog. Gar's shocking tale was in contrast with my Google experience this morning. I logged into my Google Account to find that yesterday's Google AdSense was the 2nd highest total ever.

This morning I read in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the River Legacy Park feral hogs are getting out of control and are invading surrounding neighborhoods, wreaking havoc with gardens.

I have only seen a herd of River Legacy Park feral hogs one time. They were not very big. But, there was something a bit disturbing about seeing so many little pigs stampeding.

Apparently the City of Arlington Park People don't know what to do to get the feral hog population boom under control. Is hunting allowed in Texas? I think I've heard before that wild pigs make for a good BBQ.

The Chesapeakegate Scandal Has Me Feeling All Squirrely

You're looking at a Fosdic Lake Squirrel. Squirrels are my favorite rodent. Most squirrels act squirrely and scurry away when you get remotely close.

And then there are un-squirrely squirrels who have adjusted to humans, likely due to finding humans to be a good source of snacks.

Years ago there was a very friendly squirrel who lived at River Legacy Park, in Arlington. That little guy would run right up to you. One time I laid on the ground with my camera aimed at him and some nuts in one hand. He ate out of my hand and let me pet him.

I have no idea what happened to my picture of the River Legacy Park squirrel. I believe I have every picture I've taken since 1998 on this computer I'm using right now. The River Legacy Park squirrel is probably somewhere among the thousands of pictures.

Walking around Fosdic Lake did not alleviate the foul mood I've been in for over 24 hours now. It has really sort of thrown me to have experienced perverted justice up close and personal. I've read of such things, mostly taking place under totalitarian regimes in repressive places, but I've never eye-witnessed serious corruption before. It is unsettling.

I have been getting emails regarding the Chesapeakegate Scandal. Asking me questions, as if I have the answer to what has gone wrong in Texas. One of the email's message was quite good. I have asked if I can use it for blogging fodder. I have yet to get an answer.

Waking up to rain this morning did not help my foul mood. Swimming in the rain did lift my spirits, slightly, for a little while. The sun is trying to break through the clouds and possibly cheer me up, but it seems to be having a hard time of it.

River Legacy Park Destruction Surprise

That's me, on my new bike seat, today, on the River Legacy Park paved trail, on the north side of Hurricane Creek.

I had the biggest surprise at River Legacy Park today since a guy laying out Barnett Shale seismic testing equipment almost killed me with his Off Road Vehicle, riding fast, the wrong way, on the one way River Legacy Mountain Bike Trail.

Previously to almost being a Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling fatality I'd been surprised on the same trail by my first encounter with a Bobcat. At that point in time I did not realize a Bobcat is as harmless as a house cat. So, I biked away at top speed, probably screaming like a school girl. That Bobcat encounter was the scariest critter encounter since 2002 when a Snapping Turtle tried to kill me in Lake Grapevine. I have also had an armadillo encounter or two at River Legacy. As well as some close calls with snakes. Neither the armadillo or snake encounters have been life threatening.

Today's shocking surprise at River Legacy was not an animal or human trying to kill me. Instead it was human activity of a different sort.

I know I've biked at River Legacy within the past 3 months. I'm sure of that. But, in the short time since I'd last been there, much has changed. All was fine as I pedaled along the trail that runs along the south side of the Trinity River. As I pedaled across the bridge to the north side I saw that the boat launch that had been under construction the last time I saw it, was now finished and about 20 from the low water river.

About a quarter mile from that point the trail crosses under the Collins Street Bridge. As soon as I came out the other side I was startled by what I saw. Chain-link construction fencing right up against the trail. And bulldozed dirt as far as I could see. The chain-link fencing along side the trail continued for several miles. It is aesthetically displeasing.

But even more aesthetically displeasing is all the dirt that is being moved around. It appears roads are being built. I knew there was to be a development near the Bird's Fort area towards the end of the paved trail, where there is a big buffer of trees. But, this development I saw today is right up against the River Legacy Park Trail.

There are huge piles of huge pipes laying on the ground with the trench for the pipeline being dug. You can clearly see where the pipeline is going to run. Right under the River Legacy Park trail and then across the Trinity River and under a golf course.

One of the reasons I like this trail is it feels like you've left the city. But today I heard loud screeching noises that I thought were some sort of siren. The noise turned out to be coming from a piece of heavy equipment. There were several bulldozer, earth mover type things, with several of them busy working today.

Where this development is taking place I thought was a flood plain. There are several lakes that are the result of when the river floods. Those lakes are all low due to the drought. Both Hurricane Creek and Boyd Branch have been totally dried up for a long time. But when the Trinity River floods I've seen an incredible amount of water running through those creeks to the flood plain. Or what I thought was a flood plain.

How did this come about without me reading about it? How could Arlington let such a special area be ruined? What did the River Legacy Park people have to say about it? I mean, I got a scolding letter from some lady who works for River Legacy Park because she thought I was promoting environmental damage to the park by pointing out the Off Road Trails that are outside of the park. It is the area around the Off Road Trails that I thought development was to take place.

Not out in the open. And not right up against the River Legacy Trail.

Arlington is a town where dirty dealings seem to take place with nary an eye batted. You want to build a football stadium? Well, Arlington will help you pay for it and will go along with abusing the perfectly legit concept of eminent domain to kick thousands of people out of their homes and apartments in the single worst case of eminent domain abuse in American history.

And now, somehow plans got approved that it seems will totally alter what may be the best park in the D/FW Metroplex. Why did the city not buy this land? Or at least a buffer? That land could not have cost much. It's like a wasteland. A beautiful wasteland. That isn't so beautiful anymore.