Hiking The Tandy Hills Seeing Volcano Visions While Thinking About Trinity River Inner Tubing With Elsie Hotpepper & GG

I decided to make a rare visit to the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area today, around noon, for my daily salubrious aerobic activity.

It was HOT on the hills. HOTTER than yesterday. I was soon a HOT sweaty mess.

And loving it.

Like I was in an Indian Sweat Lodge without walls.

Soon I was having "visions" just like my Native American forebears used to have.

Climbing up the trail that leads to Lost Sunglasses Ridge I had a vision of a snow covered mountain peaking over the crest of the ridge. I felt like I was back in the Pacific Northwest, hiking a trail on the western slopes of the Cascades, seeing a volcano in the distance.

But, when I reached the top of Lost Sunglasses Ridge the vision of a volcano in Texas turned into yet one more cloud.

Elsie Hotpepper has been sending me mixed messages today. By this afternoon I am not sure if she really wants to go inner tubing in the Trinity River on the 4th of July. Regarding that issue, I did get a message from Miss GG in which she clearly indicated, in her words, she won't be "swimming with big rats" on the 4th of July.

I do not understand why so many Texans are so hypersensitive about the water they are willing to get wet in.

Very perplexing.

Fort Worth's 4th Of July With Trinity River Floating While North Richland Hills Has No River Floating Or Alcohol

I just got an email from Elsie Hotpepper asking me if I wanted to go floating in the Trinity River with her on Monday at Fort Worth's 4th of July celebration behind La Grave Field in what some now call Trinity Uptown.

The ad for Fort Worth's 4th says, "Float the Fourth Water Activities. Be cool and have a fun, splashing good time in the river."

If this floating is taking place by La Grave Field will this be a case of floating where no man has dared float before? Is the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle supplying Inner Tubes for this float like they do for the Inner Tube Happy Hour Floats that occur on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the summer months?

Chesapeake Energy is presenting Fort Worth's 4th of July, according to the ad. What would Fort Worth do without Chesapeake Energy?

I mistakenly did not include the NRH 4th of July among my list of D/FW 4th of July celebrations.

Chesapeake Energy, among other Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drillers is helping sponsor North Richland Hills 4th of July celebration, as you can see in the ad below.

North Richland Hills' "The Family 4th Fireworks Show" is not the type event of which the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's J.D. Granger would approve, because, according to the ad, "This is a litter-free, alcohol-free family celebration."

In addition to the NRH 4th of July ban on litter and booze, no personal fireworks or outdoor grilling will be allowed. But, there will be patriotic music playing, in sync, with the fireworks.

It seems odd to me, since the 4th of July is basically a celebration of freedom, that some of the celebrations tell you you are not free to grill a hot dog. Or drink a bottle of beer. Or set off a firecracker.

Of these two 4th of July celebrations, J.D. Granger's party on the Trinity River would appear to appeal to me more than the NRH celebration. 

But, I don't think I could possibly drink enough beer to cause my common sense to go haywire enough that I'd end up on the 4th floating in the Trinity River. No matter how strong a case Elsie Hotpepper makes to do so.