Sour Cream Takes Me To Arlington To Walk Green With Indian Ghosts

Desperately in need of sour cream, for lunch. And with ALDI being my prime sour cream provider, pre-lunch I headed east, then drove past ALDI to nearby Arlington to take myself on a walk with the Indian Ghosts who continue to haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I do not seem to be improving at this taking a selfie thing. It's hard to see the screen when out under the bright sun.

That baseball cap on top of me is a new one. Miss Puerto Rico got it for me on her recent trip to her home island. However, that baseball cap is not Puerto Rico themed. It says "Fort Lauderdale" on it.

Miss Puerto Rico bought the cap and other souvenir type trinkets during her 12 hour Spirit Airlines layover debacle in Fort Lauderdale on her return to D/FW.

We are at that time of the year when the Village Creek Natural Historical Area begins to look its best, with the return of green in various shades. Soon walking at this location will be seeming very jungle-like, including snakes. No monkeys, though, that I've ever seen.

Years ago Betty Jo Bouvier asked me, after seeing photos on my blog, if this really was Texas. Betty Jo said she thought Texas was all brown and desert-like.

The last time I flew north to Washington, July 20 of 2008, I left Texas with my location in the state looking green. I arrived in Washington with the state in drought mode, looking like what Betty Jo thought Texas looks like.

I remember the first time I drove to East Texas, just a couple months after my arrival in Texas. I found myself surprised by how much the East Texas Piney Woods Region looked like parts of Western Washington, with forests of evergreens growing on hills.

Anyway, I remembered to stop at ALDI after doing the communing with nature. I think Beef Stroganoff is my favorite Russian thing I concoct.....

Locked Out After Sunday Walk With Arlington's Village Creek Indian Ghosts

Since today is the last Sunday of February I did today what I often do on the last Sunday of February. I drove  to Arlington to go walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area they used to call home.

There were a lot of people walking and biking with the Indian Ghosts today, enjoying the balmy temperature in the 70s. Last year about this time we were enjoying a bout of snow and ice.

The paved trail you are looking at above is at the north end of the VCNHA, as it exits to the Interlochen neighborhood and becomes the Bob Findlay Linear Park Trail. During the last major flood event, around Thanksgiving of last year, I think Village Creek flooded than I've seen it previously flood, but I did not witness that flood event. Just the aftermath. That is the dried mud residue of the flood you see at the side of the trail, high above the creek..

Village Creek is running a lot of water, still, from the most recent bout of minor drippage, as you can see below via the dam bridge which exits the Historical Area.

Why aren't generators installed to harness this energy? Probably because usually it is more of trickle than a hydro force.

When I left the Indian Ghosts behind I dropped in on ALDI, because I needed coffee.

Soon thereafter I was back at my abode. When I stuck in the metal device which slides the deadbolt out of locked position, facilitating opening the door, it was quickly apparent the lock was broken, as in the key just spun around without engaging.

All other means of entry are dead bolted from the inside, with no key openers. The windows are all locked.

So, I quickly called a door opening specialist. She arrived, tools in hand, about a half hour later. A few minutes later the door was open and I was making lunch. I asked the door opening specialist if she'd like a burger. The answer was in the affirmative, with the works, sharp cheese, onion, pickle, bacon, lettuce and tomato. With oven-baked fries.

The new lock and key are quite nice.

Abraham Lincoln's And My Sister Jackie's Happy February 12 Birthday

On this day, February 12, over two centuries ago, Abraham Lincoln was born.

On this day, February 12, far less than two centuries ago, my Favorite Sister Jackie was born, later to become the mama of my Favorite Nephews Christopher and Jeremy.

To celebrate Abe's and my sister's birthday I was going to go to River Legacy Park in Arlington to have myself a peaceful, contemplative walk.

But, when the time came to go walking I opted for a shorter drive and instead went to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area in Arlington to walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt that location.

Village Creek is currently looking very peaceful, with the water running so clear it looks almost clean enough to swim in, if one has no aversion to snapping turtles, water moccasins and sharp-toothed garfish.

Last Saturday someone told me they found what I write to be amusing. I said I had no idea I was amusing and verbalized my fear that this new found information would make me self-conscious regarding whether or not I was being amusing.

Ever since this amusing revelation I have been experiencing what I think is some version of what is known as writer's block.

I am on Day Five of Cat Sitting Duty. Miss Puerto Rico checks in several  times a day to make sure I am doing my duty. Last night when I went to check on the Babies I could  not find Coco. Belly Baby was in her regular spot on Miss Puerto Rico's bed, but Coco was hidden from me.

I do not know if Coco was playing a cat game with me, moving to various hiding locations, or what.

But, it took around a half hour before I finally located the little devil, on the bed, right next to Belly Baby, but hidden under a sheet. I am almost 100% certain that that cat was not there when I first discovered her to be missing.

I have not checked in on the meow-ers today. I supposed I should do so.....

Blazing Trails To New Locations On Arlington's Village Creek

I had myself a different type of haunting experience in Arlington today at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Years ago I was at one of the turtle viewing locations on Village Creek when I was startled to suddenly see a guy on the other side of the creek. How could someone get to this location, I wondered, what with the underbrush so thick, and what with it being summer, the time of year when the rattlesnakes, copperheads and other venomous critters are extra frisky.

Well, today I found my way to that location. In the picture above I am standing about where I saw that guy years ago. That thin gray line you see at the top of the photo is the paved trail that one accesses from the VCNHA parking lot, which I had been jogging on a few minutes prior. That opening you see in front of the gray paved line is the turtle viewing location mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Though the air was heated today to a summer type temperature, if you are talking about a Western Washington summer, not a Texas summer, it was not hot enough today to get the slithering reptiles in danger mode.

I got gas today. $1.43 a gallon. I used to regularly call my mom and dad when I got gas, but of late I don't do that so much because usually when I get gas I am not alone and it seems rude to call someone when one is not alone in the vehicle. So, I called today from a Village Creek NHA picnic table, but got no answer. A call later in the afternoon was successful.

Tomorrow is my mom's happy birthday. Happy birthday, mom......

Village Creek Ghost Running With Snake Hunters

Rather than drive to Dallas to go to the last day of the State Fair of Texas I opted instead to do my usual Sunday thing by being a Ghost Runner in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

As you can see, the current chilly temperature, in the mid-70s, required extra outerwear so as to keep warm.

As I ran along in one of the most isolated locations in the Village Creek zone I came upon a young lady and her boyfriend acting all frazzled, looking intently for something. I figured their dog had run off.

I stopped and asked what they were looking for.

Snakes, was the reply. Snakes? Asked I. Yes, snakes, said the young lady. She told me further down the trail they had almost stepped on a real big snake. I told them they really had nothing much to fear, that I'd only seen a few rattlesnakes, water moccasins and copperheads in this park. That, and the temperature is so chilly cold-blooded snakes can't move too fast. So, no danger.

Later on my run with the Indian Ghosts I came upon the same couple again, still walking slow and intently watching where they were walking. I think they must have been visiting the Great State of Texas from somewhere up north or west, due to the irrational fear of snakes, which is a malady I suffered from when I first arrived in Texas. I remember just the walk to the end of the driveway to pick up the morning paper made me nervous, sure was I that snakes were lurking about.

All these years later I have only had a few encounters with venomous snakes. Those being a rattlesnake in Cedar Hills State Park, a copperhead, cottonmouth and water moccasin in Village Creek, a cottonmouth on the Horseshoe Trails on Lake Grapevine and a copperhead on the River Legacy mountain bike trail.

None of my venomous snake encounters have come even remotely close to me getting a snake bite, with the closest encounter being that rattlesnake on the DORBA Trail in Cedar Hills State Park. That rattlesnake was BIG, coiled up and rattling its tail right beside the trail. I heard the telltale rattle before I saw the snake. It was within striking distance as I zipped by, but it remained coiled and rattling and did not attempt to kill me.

I slept in way past my norm this morning, vertical well after the sun had arrived to do its daily lighting duty. I did not make it to my morning swim til around 8. The pool was cool due to the newly arrived cooler temperature, but even though the pool was cool it was still doable to have myself a mighty fine time seeking endorphins via water aerobics.

The running/jogging thing has really kicked in. It no longer feels awkward. It feels natural. And no aches or pains. Knock on wood. I did some bouts of running as fast as I could today. We'll see if that brings me aches and pains by tomorrow morning.  I suspect I will be pain free.....

Jogging With Village Creek Indian Ghosts Talking About Columbus Day

Yes, that is the Ghost Mirror in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area you are looking at here.

Which means I went jogging with the Indian Ghosts today on this record breaking, temperature-wise, October 15 day.

Currently my temperature monitoring device is indicating we are one degree above the record, at 97, so I'm back with the A/C running and ceiling fans spinning.

It's like Summer never left.

Jogging went well today. It no longer feels awkward. I am not yet at the point where I can run and run and run as long as I want. That point may never be reached.

The Village Creek Indian Ghosts were less cranky than my last two visits. They dread Columbus Day each year.

But this year the Indian Spirit World got the news that the well-educated, modern parts of America have figured out that Christopher Columbus is not a historical figure who should be the subject of a national holiday, and so the Indian Ghosts are optimistic that this bizarrely twisted bit of Euro-Centric nonsense is coming to an end.

I told the Indian Ghosts, today, that it may be decades before the South figures it out, that many in the South only recently figured out that displaying Confederate Battle Flags really was not a good idea.

On Facebook, in a totally ludicrous comment thread to a totally ludicrous post about the absurdity of those who disdain Columbus, politically correct liberal fools that they be, a neanderthal, uneducated, clueless miscreant actually said.....

"You people who want to quit honoring Columbus on Columbus Day need to understand that if Columbus had not discovered America, the United States, as we know it, would not exist".

I added punctuation to make the sentence more legible.

Can you count how many levels of stupidity exist in this comment? I know I can't.

How do you educate someone who thinks something like this? I mean, where do you start?

And, thinking that honoring Columbus, with a national holiday, is a bad idea, has nothing to do with political correctness or being liberal. It has to do with the fact that in the modern era we now know the actual history, other than the myth, and the actual history of Columbus, in America, is nothing to celebrate.

To continue to pretend Columbus was something he was not is like those who continued to believe the earth was flat, after most people came to understand the earth was not flat.

Anyway, I'm  glad the Village Creek Indian Ghosts were back being semi-content today....

Today Finding Some Possible Interlochen Indian Ghosts Protesting Columbus Day

After extensive tutoring by renowned selfie photo taker, Elsie Hotpepper, my selfie photo taking has not improved one iota.

My photographer skills also continue to be severely limited.

In this photo, in addition to doing the requisite selfie thing, I was trying to show the long expanse of a narrow greenway which one accesses from near the formerly blue Village Creek Blue Bayou, or from the east, via a dam crossing from Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood.

This morning I woke up feeling real good, for no apparent reason, soon found myself having a mighty fine swim in the increasingly cool pool. Then a few hours later, again for no apparent reason, I developed a rare mild headache.

I figured the rare mild headache would be helped by a not so rare Sunday walk with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's resident Indian Ghosts.

A few days ago I  found the Indian Ghosts to be in a cranky mood due to tomorrow's most nefarious American holiday.

Columbus Day.

The day we celebrate a murderous genocide purveying, rape condoning, racist, property thieving European who stumbled on some Caribbean islands while looking for India. Hence America's native population being known as Indians.

If I were President, and if it were within my Executive Order powers, I would issue an Executive Order ending Columbus Day, replacing that disgraceful holiday with Indigenous Peoples Day, or Native American Day or some other such thing.

Anyway, today whilst walking along Village Creek I did not sense the usual presence of the Indian Ghosts.

However, when I left the Village Creek Natural Historical  Area, to briefly cross into the Interlochen neighborhood, from whence I quickly re-enter the Natural Historical Area, I saw what may have been some sort of Indian Ghosts Columbus Day Protest around a big tree.

Spooky, don't you think?

Currently the temperature is only 7 degrees shy of 100. When I walked with the Indian Ghosts the temperature was a relatively chilly 80, and windy. We are not yet quite at that needing to wear sweatpants time of the year, but close. I think we are past the needing to be shirtless to survive the heat part of the year.

Soon I will be searching to find where I put my long underwear.

On Facebook this morning I read an incoming COLD warning from esteemed North Texas weatherman, John Basham, that COLD is on the way in a week or so. Seems like just yesterday me and my vehicle slid sideways down the hill to the entry to my abode zone. I believe that was in early March. Or late February.

Please spare us Ice Storms this winter. I am not in the mood for such things....

A Pondering Walk With Cranky Village Creek Indian Ghosts

That jade colored body of water you are looking at here is Village Creek, which would seem to indicate I was at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today to walk, jog or ride my bike.

Walking was the option today.

Before walking I learned from the tire doctor that the reason my left front tire seemed to be less inflated than it should be was because a screw had inserted itself into the tire.

I really don't like it when that happens.

Walking with the Indian Ghosts was completely uneventful today. I think the Indian Ghosts are being cranky because their most hated holiday of the year is about here.

Columbus Day.

Columbus Day really needs to have a name change. It's embarrassing. Canada doesn't have a Columbus Day. Why do we? Columbus never made it to what we know as the United States. It was on a few islands in the Caribbean that Columbus practiced mass genocide, among other atrocities.

Anyway, in addition to walking with the Indian Ghosts and wondering why there is so much ignorance in so much abundance in America I went to ALDI post Village Creek to get milk among other necessities.

And now the outer world is being dampened with water pellets, also known as rain.

What a day.....

Running Ghost-Free At Village Creek Unable To Find Fort Worth Weekly

Yesterday I got myself no heavy duty aerobicizing of the inducing endorphins sort due to a Euless doctor visit wreaking havoc with my regular schedule.

A cool pool bout just does not do it for me, endorphin-wise. This morning's cool pool bout started before the sun arrived.

Today in the noon time frame I was in Arlington, near where the Indian Ghosts haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area. So, I decided to go jogging.

Well, actually running. Today was run as fast as I can as long as I can and then walk day. Breathe hard. And repeat.

And sweat like a fat pig in a sauna.

Above you are looking at the Village Creek selfie stick which I have shown you before. This is a wider view of the mirror ball. I detected no Indian Ghosts hovering about me when I got the picture off the phone today. Maybe the Indian Ghosts have taken a quick trip to Washington, D.C. to see the Pope. The Indian Ghosts were probably pleased to hear the Pope speak of their ancestors.

Changing the subject to something else.

This week's Fort Worth Weekly is not be found, by me, at any of the usual locations. This is the annual Best of Fort Worth issue.

I have been told by a fairly reliable source, who included photo documentation, that Fort Worth Weekly has given one of its coveted Critic's Choice awards to a popular Fort Worth centric blog, with Fort Worth Weekly saying that that blog is a reminder that watchdogging still has a place.

I did not know we needed a reminder to know watchdogging still has a place.

The online version of Fort Worth Weekly was messed up when I tried to glean the Critic's Choice thing about that watchdogging blog. I'll go check and see if it is still messed up. Be right back.

Still messed up.

Ever since the esteemed, highly regarded Gayle Reaves decided to find a better job than being the editor in chief of FW Weekly, the Weekly has gone downhill like a sled out of control. The website being messed up and the Weekly not being delivered are a couple examples.

Maclura Pomifera Almost Knocked Me Out Today Jogging With Indian Ghosts

That is a Maclura Pomifera you see me holding. More on that later.

Today, as I rolled along on my way to Arlington to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area for my regularly scheduled Sunday jog with the Indian Ghosts who haunt this location, I had the radio playing loud.

The vehicle has six speakers, so sound sounds like it is coming from multiple directions. As I waited for a light to turn green suddenly sound seemed to be coming out of my jogging pants pocket.

After a few seconds of being puzzled by the sound I realized it was my phone. I struggled to extract the phone from the pocket. By the time I freed the phone and touched the screen I think I rejected the call. I then saw the rejected call was from Spencer Jack's dad, he being my Favorite Nephew Jason.

I got to Village Creek and text messaged Jason explaining the phone answering debacle and that I was about to go jogging for a few miles.

Shortly before taking the picture you see above the phone made its incoming text message noise. I stopped jogging under some shade to soon find myself reading the following text message from the aforementioned Jason...

Having lunch at the Reading Railroad Terminal Market. The Amish lunch makers apparently don't work Sunday's, so I had to settle for an antipasto salad. Off to the Wanamaker building to hear the organ. Call back after you have completed your marathon training, if desired.

As I read Jason's text message I was almost clobbered by that green thing you see me holding. This is the time of year these delicious looking pieces of tree fruit fall to the ground. Maclura Pomifera is this fruit's fancy name. It is also known as Osage orange, horse apple, hedge apple, bois d'arc, bodark and monkey ball.

Monkey ball?

I gleaned this monkey ball info from the Wikipedia article about the serious Maclura Pomifera issue.

When I was finished with the jogging, which, incidentally, went well today, and was back in air-conditioned vehicular comfort I called Jason. The call went to voice mail. I left a message, then headed for home. A mile later Jason called back. Sounds like he's having himself a mighty fine time in Philadelphia, going to museums, visiting Benjamin Franklin's grave, having lunch (yesterday) with some friendly Amish Dutch girls and other stuff I am not remembering.

Jogging With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts

Pre ALDI today I went jogging in Arlington at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, that being an area known for being haunted by the Ghosts of Indians who were massacred at this location by eminent domain abusing invaders who eventually called themselves Texans.

I did not feel a strong Indian Ghost presence today.

I stopped at the Village Creek giant mirror, installed by the Arlington park people to serve as a selfie photo enabler.

Maybe the giant mirror has other purposes as well, like letting someone see what is on the other side of a blind corner.

So, I took a picture. When I transferred the picture from my phone to my computer I saw something hovering near me that I did not see in person. That being a ghostly looking apparition clinging to my left arm. I cropped the picture and doubled  its size to get a better look.

Seems like just a couple days ago I took a picture of the giant mirror with a ghostly presence hovering above me. I think the Indian Ghosts know I am a friendly sympathizer and thus are getting closer to me.

Well, enough of that nonsense. The lunch bell just chimed. Sour cream chicken enchiladas, among some other good Tex-Mex stuff.

Jogging With A Village Creek Indian Ghost On My Shoulder Looking For An Enchanted Rock

I had myself a mighty fun run today with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I stopped briefly at the Village Creek Giant Round Mirror to take a picture of me taking a picture.

In the picture you can clearly see one of the Village Creek Indian Ghosts hovering slightly above my left shoulder.

I am being more than a little surprised at how quickly I have gotten myself back in jogging mode.

Running really is about the most natural exercise a human can do. We are engineered to run. Way back, eons of evolution ago, humans had to be able to run in order to escape from whatever was giving chase, or chase whatever one wanted to cook for dinner.

I estimate today's jogging ran for about 3  miles. I don't jog non-stop. I take walking breaks.

A couple years ago I tried to re-start jogging, but my feet were quickly sore and my knee joints were not liking it. I thought maybe I was becoming arthritic. That ailment runs in the family. So I abandoned that attempt.

I've been sort of surprised that I've had no aches or pains or strains from this new bout of running. I suspect the reason is I was already in good shape due to biking and hill hiking. But, I was doing both back when I aborted my former attempt to re-start jogging. It's perplexing.

Anyway.

When I was done running with the Indian Ghosts I sat myself at a picnic table and called my mom. I forgot to call when I got gas a couple days ago to tell mom it was $1.89. Before calling I usually send a text message to the phone my dad monitors, texting "you kids home and by the phone?". To which my dad replies "yes" or "no".

So, today I nixed the pre-ma call text message, due to being out in the bright light of the sun rendering it more difficult to see so I called the mom and dad landline directly. Mom answered on ring two.

My ma is still in recovery mode from the recent melanoma surgery, trouble sleeping, still painful, but was sounding quite chipper and perky today.

I think this is the weekend one of my PNW friends, Maxine, is hiking over Cascade Pass to Stehekin. Washington's wildfires had been wreaking all sorts of havoc with the hiking plans. But, the wildfires have died down, for the most part, so I'm assuming the Cascade Pass option was back on, rather than the back up, take the Lady of the Lake to Stehekin, option, an option with all sorts of logistic problems.

Maxine's weekly Cascade hiking tales have me thinking it would be fun to once again do the semi-mountain hike closest to my current location, that being the hike to the summit of Enchanted Rock, down south in Texas Hill Country.

In the meantime I'll probably visit the Tandy Hills tomorrow. They ain't no Cascades, or Enchanted Rock, but one takes what one can when and where one can.....

The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Led Me To A Selfie Trip Down Memory Lane

Sunday is my regularly scheduled day when I drive to Arlington to walk with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I talked to some fellow walkers today who were being perplexed by the clear cutting of the underbrush that used  to make the paved trail seem like a walk through a jungle, but is now like a walk through what remains after a hurricane blows through.

Soon after crossing the first dam bridge which crosses Village Creek I came upon that which you see here.

TEACH PEACE.

I wonder if this teach peace message is the work of the Indian Ghosts? They certainly were not left in peace whilst living in their village alongside Village Creek.

This seemed to me to be an odd location to have chalked this message. Writing it big on the bridge would have been a good spot. Or by the formerly blue Blue Bayou which is currently green, hence renamed the Green Bayou.

That is the Green Bayou you see behind me.

Making this the location for today's attempt to take a selfie pic. I think I am about ready to stop with the selfies. I think I must need a better phone to do the selfie thing properly. Someone suggested something called an iPhone.

Years ago, way back in the last century, my first digital camera was a Casio. It is shocking to think of it now, but at the time I paid $599 for that camera. It ate up batteries, could only hold  60 photos, had no controls, no zoom, no focus, no nothing.

Well, there was a timer. And one cool feature, that being the lens could be rotated to point the camera at the picture taker, hence enabling what are now known as selfies.

Just a sec, let me see if I can find a photo or two taken with that antique camera. One of them I am looking at right now, printed, framed and hanging on the wall above me. I'll go find that one and maybe another....

Well, I found the one I have hanging above me, and a lot of others. I took a lot of selfies with that antique camera. It was way easier to do so than with this newfangled supposedly smart phone. We will start this selfie tour down memory lane back before I moved to Texas.....

That is Wanda behind me in the selfie, with that being Delicate Arch behind us. Delicate Arch is in Arches National Park in Utah. I think this was taken in 1997, October of. We'd been houseboating on Lake Powell.

The above selfie was taken on the same trip where the Lake Powell houseboating took place. In this selfie I am at Islands in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park.

That lady on my shoulder is picking blueberries in Schrieber's Meadow by Mount Baker. Wild mountain blueberries are good. Within a year or two, that woman on my shoulder would cause me to move to Texas.

Speaking of the move to Texas. The above selfie was taken somewhere south of Amarillo on Highway 287. I am driving my now dead van, loaded to the max. Behind me, in that yellow Penske truck, are the rest of my belongings. I am a bit appalled that I drove along at freeway speed taking selfie pics with my antique digital camera.

And now we move on to selfies taken in Texas, before my selfie taking camera was replaced by an Olympus camera in 2001.

That would be the blueberry picker on the left and Wanda on the right. This would have been four months after the move to Texas. I know this because for reasons still unfathomable to me, Wanda flew to Texas four months after the move. Her first and only time being here. I think Texas scared Wanda. I can see in this picture that four months in Texas was already putting weight on me. It was all the restaurant feedings that were doing me in. I'd never been to so many restaurants, so often, as I did the first two years in Texas. It was appalling. And many of them were all you can eat buffets. After the move to Texas my hair also got out of control, going through several bizarre iterations. I did not realize this til hunting for selfies.

The above is at Dinosaur Valley State Park, with Big Ed in the selfie behind me. We spent a few hours mountain biking the excellent Dinosaur Valley trails before heading south to a dude ranch where the blueberry picking lady was waiting for us to partake in a barbecue.

Now the above is an example of my hair going  through bizarre iterations after the move to Texas. I have no recollection of using a  huge amount  of gel product to create that mess. I think this was taken at the Fort Worth Nature Preserve, you know, that alligator infested location that occasionally supplies alligators to the tubing location of America's Biggest Boondoggle.

The above selfie has Lake Grapevine behind me. This was my favorite mountain biking location when I lived in Haslet in far north Fort Worth. Rockledge Park is where the trailhead is located. At the time this was the most popular mountain bike trail in the D/FW Metroplex. I do not know if that is still the case.

The last two selfies are pool selfies.

Which would make these skinny dipping selfies.

I do not believe I was purposefully winking in this selfie. I believe the sun was causing me to squint. I am not much of a winker. Or a smiler, but seem to be doing both in this selfie.

Well, now that ends this selfie trip down memory lane. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did....

A Long Hot Walk With Arlington's Indian Ghosts While Strangling My Handlebars

Why am I gripping the throat of my handlebars you are sitting there wondering?

Well.

Around noon I headed to Arlington to the Village Creek Natural  Historical Area for my regularly scheduled Monday bike ride with the Indian Ghosts.

All was going well as I rolled merrily along.

And then as I was almost at my turn around point, that being the furthest from the motorized vehicle which brought me and my bike to Arlington, as I braked slightly going down the dip that goes under the Green Oaks Boulevard bridge over Village Creek, I knew I was in bike  malfunction mode.

I came to a stop, got off the bike, poked the front tire, no problem, poked the rear tire, big problem.

Flat tire in the making.

So, I began the long walk back to air-conditioned comfort. An almost three mile walk, with about half out in the open, with no shade.

I don't know how many gallons of water I leaked as I walked along, but I was dripping profusely. The bike's water bottle holds 30 ounces, I think. The backup bottle back in my vehicle holds 40 ounces. All gone by the time I got back to a tap water source of hydrating.

I have not yet done a forensic exam on the failed bike tire to determine the cause. I'll likely put that off til tomorrow.

It has been a long time since I had to walk an injured bike a long distance. If I remember correctly the previous incident occurred way back in 2005 or 6. I was at the 6 mile mark on the River Legacy Park paved trail, which put me about 4 miles from the nearest road. It  was extremely HOT. I did not have much water. I called for help, which had a rescue team rescuing me at where the trail intersects Collins Street.

Today I did not feel like calling for help. First off because three miles isn't all that far, even when pushing a broken bike.  And second off, I would have had trouble directing any of the directionally challenged people whom I might call to drive to Interlochen to find me on the Bob Findlay Linear Park trail.

Maybe I need to consider finding a new source of endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation. Returning to roller blading perhaps?

Biking With The Indian Ghosts In Arlington's Village Creek Unnatural Historic Area

Today in the noon time frame the outer world was chilled to a temperature somewhere in the 80s. That's about the same temperature I have my interior A/C set to.

What with the chilly fall-like air it seemed to me to be a good idea to drive to Arlington to roll my bike wheels with the Indian Ghosts at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

The two most recent visits with the Indian Ghosts have been made annoying be the presence of a clear cutting operation spewing a lot of dust, noise and trail blocking trucks.

Today the clear cutters were gone, and what they left behind is not aesthetically pleasing. Above you can see my handlebars looking at a section of cut clear of brush.

I have been visiting the Village Creek Indian Ghosts for many years. This is the first time this type extensive  clear cutting has taken place.

If the name of this place is Village Creek Natural Historical Area, doesn't it seem a bit counter-intuitive to destroy the natural brush?

I can only think of a few reasons for doing this. One being that maybe some people were made nervous by the closed in, jungle-like foliage the paved trail passed through, fearing some evil doer might be lurking.

Was it thought the dried brush presented a fire hazard? If so, why now and not years previous?

Had some people reported being freaked out be a snake suddenly slithering out of the underbrush, onto the trail? Currently it would be a lot more difficult for a snake to slither without being early detected.

I'm sure come next spring the brush will quickly grow back to jungle status. But in the meantime, what are the armadillos supposed to do? Armadillos like their underbrush.

So do I....

Mary Kelleher Begs For Manila Help While I Bike With Indian Ghosts

I was worried sick when I left my abode today around noon to drive to Arlington to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area to take my handlebars on a ride with the Indian Ghosts.

Moments before exiting my abode I got an urgent email from Mary Kelleher....

Hello,
I really hope you get this fast. i came down here to Manila Philippines, Unfortunately i was robbed at the park of the hotel where i stayed but luckily for me, i still have my life and passport safe. All cash, credit card, cellphone was stolen off me. I've been to the embassy and the police here but they're not helping issues at all. My return flight leaves in less than few hours from now, But am having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager insist i must settle the bills before i leave. I need your help with some money, I will refund the money back to you as soon as I get back home.

Thanks.
Mary Kelleher

I had no clue how to help. I could not turn to Elsie Hotpepper for advice because the Hotpepper is no longer in Texas. Why is Mary in Manila? A water board junket with J.D. Granger checking out how the Philippines rocks its rivers? I suspect not.

Anyway, with the plight of Mary Kelleher weighing heavy on my mind I got to my bike riding destination. Soon upon rolling my wheels I came upon the ROAD WORK AHEAD sign you see above. Road work? What road? It's a paved trail, not a road.

Eventually I came upon a crew using a piece of machinery to wreak havoc with the underbrush that lines both sides of the paved trail, which made for a lush jungle-like effect when green returns in the spring. Soon after passing the brush getting bashed I came upon what you see below, that being what the paved trail now looks like with its brush removed.

I wonder what the reason is for this severe pruning? The Indian Ghosts are not happy about it.

It's been hours now since I learned Mary Kelleher is stuck half way around the world. I've heard no further word about her horrific plight.

I am having myself a backlog of blogging fodder. Two of which come from Spencer Jack and his dad. Multiple photos of the current state of the former Skagit River. Along with some good McDonald's fodder.

I have grown tired of day after day over 100. September will be here soon. By the end of September the pool starts getting a bit cool. Time flies fast. The end of September will quickly arrive. Followed soon thereafter by the dreaded holiday season.

And Ice Storms....

No Indian Ghosts Haunting Arlington's Village Creek On This Last Sunday Of June

My handlebars went to Arlington this last Sunday of June to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

What the handlebars are looking at is the scourged ground left behind when Village Creek ceased being in flood mode.

Village Creek was flowing with crystal clear water today, the likes of which I have not seen before with Village Creek.

If the Trinity River ever got as crystal clear as Village Creek is being today, well, inner tubing in that river would not seem nearly as unappealing, what with one then being able to see what was sharing the water with you.

The above view is looking northwest, from the Bob Findlay Linear Park that runs  through the Interlochen neighborhood.

The below view is also looking northwest from the Interlochen neighborhood, but not on the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

As I approached the area you see above I saw those two bikers struggling to lower their bikes to a dam I have walked across many times, but would never consider using as a bike crossing, due to what  is on the other side is not exactly bike friendly. The pair making this trek, a man and woman, were not youngsters, much closer to being elderly than youngsters.

The path the bikers were on eventually leads to the Village Creek Blue Bayou Overlook. I did not see them when I got to the overlook. They had plenty of time to beat me there, what with the route they were taking being much shorter than the paved route which brought me to the Overlook.

A teenage kayaker drowned in Village Creek when he tried to kayak the flooding rapids. Seeing the scourged remains of the flood today had me wondering where that kayaker kayaked, as in where did he put the kayak in, and where did it turn into a fatal accident?

Way too many locals seem to think it is a good idea to go kayaking in a flooding creek or river. Do there need to be "NO KAYAKING WHILE FLOODING" signs sharing space with the "FISH NOT SAFE TO EAT" signs?

I saw no Indian Ghosts today....

A Happy Hour Rockin' The Indian Ghosts Bike Ride In Arlington's Interlochen

Can you see the Indian Ghosts sitting on the supposedly empty bench, looking out over the land on which their village was built a long long time ago?

What with there being Indian Ghosts sitting on a bench this would seem to indicate my handlebars are in the vicinity of Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Specifically my handlebars are looking northwest from a sidewalk in the Interlochen neighborhood, looking at an Interlochen loch and Village Creek.

In the past week, or so, my attempts to visit the Indian Ghosts have been thwarted by the area being closed due to flooding.

Via muddy residue, well, what once was mud, but which has now been rendered into thick dust, I could see how high the water rose.

I don't know if Village Creek rose to a record breaking flood level, but if it didn't, I think it got close. A lot of flood damage residue has been left in the flood's wake.

More rain is on the menu for tomorrow, with possible thunderstorms. I hope we don't go into flood mode again.

It gets old.

That and all this flooding is causing my favorite local activity to be postponed over and over again. I am referring to the Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats in the currently bloated and polluted Trinity River, which America's Biggest Boondoggle is now touting as being the same water as our drinking water, with that lovely muddy brown color coming from clay.

Not pollution....

The Indian Ghosts Close Village Creek Due To Flooding While Mallard Cove Dries Up

This afternoon I heard the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area calling me.

So, I rolled my motorized wheels to Arlington to find the Natural Historical Area closed due to flooding.

That surprised me since it has not rained, as far as I know, since Bill visited on Wednesday.

I did not feel like rolling on to one of Arlington's other parks where I take my handlebars, like River Legacy or Veterans Park.

So, I dejectedly turned around and headed home.

I got to Cooks Lane and then it occurred to me to continue north on Cooks Lane, past John T. White Road, to Randol Mill Road to take a left to check out Mallard Cove Park to see if it was a muddy mess from being flooded.

Well.

I got to the Mallard Cove Park parking lot, got out, walked til I had a view of the paved trails and was surprised to see no indication that this place had been recently inundated with water. I figured when the water receded there would be mud, litter, logs, all sorts of a mess.

But, if I have not seen it flooded, today I would not have thought anything at all unusual had happened here. The grass was recently mowed. Everything looked clean as new.

Below is the picture I took from the same vantage point as the picture above. You can see the bench above under water in the picture below...

You can see mud in the lower left of the above picture. Where did all that mud go? You can see other pictures of what a flooded Mallard Cove Park looked like in the blogging titled Mallard Cove Park Is Underwater With Some Mysterious Bubbles Burbling along with video of the burbling.

All in all I ended up having myself a mighty fine time rolling my wheels around Mallard Cove, even though there were no Indian Ghosts making their presence known...

Another Bike Ride With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts With No Fox, Skunk Or Raccoon Reacting With Fear

Seems like I just visited them, but, even so, this Flag Day Sunday seemed like a good day to visit the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Standing water in various locations and dirt that was dry a couple days ago had been turned back to mud, sticking to my bike tires, indicating, it would seem, that some precipitation precipitated overnight, which I was unaware of.

Though, now that you are making me think about it, there was some puddling by the pool this morning which should have clued me to the fact that some drippage had occurred.

A few drops dripped on me whilst I was rolling my wheels. It felt good.

Today I was stopped at a spot I don't usually stop by a walker wanting to ask me a question I did not have an answer to.  After being useless to the question asker I reached for my water bottle and looked up at a sign I've passed dozens upon dozens of times over the years, but had never bothered to read.

That is the sign you see my handlebars pointing to.

Below is a closer look at the sign.

Of the critters on the sign that we are told it is in their nature to react with fear if we meet while I am here, the only critters  on the sign which I have met in the Village Creek zone are the rabbit, the armadillo, the snake, the squirrel and the bee.

I have never seen a fox, a skunk or a raccoon in the Village Creek zone. I have seen a lot of turtles, very skittish turtles reacting irrationally in fear. And possums, lots of possums.

I think the sign needs a critter update....