Looking At Panzerschwein In Texas With Nephew Jason

This morning Spencer Jack's paternal parental unit sent the above to my phone.

My Favorite Nephew Jason is as fluent in Deutsch as I am, so I don't think he was sending me this so that I could explain what panzerschwein in English.

Even people who are not fluent in German might easily figure out, sort of, what panzerschwein is.

Panzers were scary German tanks in WWII.

Armored tanks.

Schwein is what many called German in WWII.

Pigs.

So, panzerschwein are armored pigs.

Now, what animal might a German settlers experiencing the wilds of frontier Texas think looked like an armored pig?

If you answered "armadillo" methinks you are likely correct.

I do not remember ever seeing a single armadillo at my current location. When I lived further south, in the D/FW zone, I frequently saw armadillos. Sometimes with baby armadillos, which are extremely cute.

Let me see if I can find a photo of one of my encounters with baby armadillos...

I remember this encounter like it was yesterday, but it was well over a decade ago. At River Legacy Park in Arlington.

I got down low on the paved trail to take the picture. The baby armadillos sensed something was there, they do not see too well when young. The four began moving towards me. I backed off. Their mother did not seem at all concerned.

I wonder if those early German settlers in Texas tried to make bacon out of what they thought were armored pigs?

Gruesome Murder Mystery On Wichita Falls Circle Trail

Approximately a quarter mile east of Mount Wichita, on the Circle Trail, in Lake Wichita Park, I came upon the death scene you see here.

If this were located on a road with vehicular traffic I would assume the armadillo was the victim of a hit and run.

But, there is no motorized vehicular traffic on the Circle Trail, except for city employees driving vehicles like oversized golf carts to empty trash cans.

Years ago at Gateway Park in Fort Worth I came upon a murdered armadillo, clearly the victim of a gunshot wound.

The Wichita Falls Circle Trail dead armadillo had no obvious cause of death, at least to my amateur forensic pathologist eyes.

Why would anyone murder an armadillo? Armadillos are such cute creatures. I tried to find the Texas armadillo due to foul play death rate, to no avail, but I did find the declaration by which the armadillo was named the State Small Mammal of Texas....

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Texas traditionally has recognized a variety of official state symbols as tangible representations of the proud spirit and heritage of our state; and

WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the pecan tree, the Guadalupe bass, and the lightning whelk are examples of some natural specimens that serve to symbolize the great diversity of the Texas landscape, while the state dish, chili, fittingly represents another aspect of our shared culture as Texans; and

WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of an Official State Mammal of Texas has been the subject of an extensive statewide mock election participated in by hundreds of elementary schoolchildren throughout our state; and

WHEREAS, The two front-runners in this race have been the armadillo and the longhorn; and

WHEREAS, Once the cornerstone of the Texas cattle industry, an estimated 10 million longhorns were herded from Texas to midwestern and western markets during the quarter century that followed the Civil War, providing invaluable stability to the state's postwar economy; and

WHEREAS, The longhorn's distinctive profile commands an immediate association with the State of Texas nationwide and is fittingly used as a visual symbol by businesses from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle; and

WHEREAS, The other candidate for designation as Official State Mammal, the armadillo is a hardy, pioneering creature that chose to begin migrating here at about the time that Texas became a state; and

WHEREAS, The armadillo possesses many remarkable and unique traits, some of which parallel the attributes that distinguish a true Texan, such as a deep respect and need for the land, the ability to change and adapt, and a fierce undying love for freedom; and

WHEREAS, As proud and indomitable as the state from which they hail, both the longhorn and the armadillo will serve as fitting symbols of Texas' unique heritage; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the longhorn the official Large State Mammal of Texas and the armadillo the official Small State Mammal of Texas.

Bullet Proof Armadillo Sends Texan To Hospital With Bullet In His Head

I find this story just a little hard to believe.

A Texan supposedly shot an armadillo, with the bullet bouncing off the armadillo, ricocheting back to the shooter's head, sending him to a hospital.

An armadillo's armor is hard, but is it hard enough to bounce a bullet?

I think the shooter may have been under the influence of an adult beverage, aimed at the armadillo, pulled the trigger, with the bullet hitting a rock near the intended victim and then bouncing back to the shooter's head in a karmic case of instant poetic justice.

I have seen a murdered armadillo before, the victim of a gun shot near the mountain bike trail entry in Gateway Park.

Isn't it a felony of some sort to shoot one of the official state symbols of Texas? Why would anyone in their right mind shoot something as cute as a harmless armadillo?

Walking With The Indian Ghosts Across Flotsam Free Village Creek In Arlington

Yesterday I took a rare day off from getting any endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation, due to the outer world being too cool and too windy.

Today, by noon, the outer world was warmed into the relatively balmy mid 40s, with only a slight breeze blowing.

So, I drove to Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area to walk with the Indian Ghosts who have haunted this zone ever since their evictions and exterminations courtesy of incoming Texans.

The last time I was in the location of the above picture, machinery was removing the flotsam that was stuck up against the dam, stopping a massive litter pile up from making its way to its Trinity River destiny.

Today I was pleased to see the dam bridge is totally flotsam free, with the pile of litter merrily on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Today I was freshly wondering where have all the Village Creek armadillos gone? Ever since I learned armadillos are also known as Hoover Hogs, and were an edible East Texas delicacy, I've not seen a single one of these possibly tasty morsels.

Speaking of lunch, the lunch bell just rang. Chicken with oven-fried (in olive oil) spud chunks and salad with yellow pepper. And lemonade. All natural and homemade with no high fructose corn syrup.

Visiting A Big Village Creek Turtle After Zelda Del West Gave Me An Armadillo Leprosy Warning

Today I was visiting the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, blissfully enjoying the peaceful serenity I get from gazing out at the Village Creek Blue Bayou, when I looked down to be startled by the big turtle you see in the picture, looking up at me.

This turtle was unusually un-skittish. The big guy just sat there winking at me.

Last Sunday I mentioned that I was hunting for an armadillo in the Village Creek zone, for lunch, after having read that armadillos were considered a delicacy, by some, in Texas, back during the Great Depression, calling the cute critters Hoover Hogs.

I then heard from Zelda del West, who recently escaped Texas, after a multi-year exile, to now reside in Walla Walla, Washington, from whence she informed me that "...you can make an armadillo into stew using it's own armor as the pot. You should be nice to armadillos. They can also give you leprosy."

If I felt the need to be nice to all the various things from which I might catch leprosy I would exhaust myself, daily, from excessive niceness.

As for the Village Creek NHA armadillos,  I saw nary a one, again, today. Where have all the armadillos gone?

I did see an Arlington animal control officer releasing some possums from his animal control truck. I have seen this multiple times at this location. He picks the possums up by their tails, places them on the ground,  where they quickly scurry away, never to be seen, by me, again.

The closest I think I've come to a heart attack was years ago, in Mount Vernon, a town on the other side of the Cascade Mountains from Walla Walla, where a possum jumped out of my garbage can whilst I was depositing some garbage.

I know someone in Tacoma who had a horrible possum infestation in her basement. The possum infestation was so insidious that the lady moved to a new possum free location. It would not shock me to learn that the possums followed her there. Because it is well know that possums love chocolate...

A Futile Arlington Armadillo Lunch Hunt With Ducks

I was back walking with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area on this 1st Sunday of the 3rd month of 2013.

We are currently being heated to above 60 degrees in the outer world at my location. That is the warmest it has been for quite a few days.

In the picture you are standing on one of the dam/bridges over which the VCNHA paved trail crosses, looking south at a couple of the dams that dam up water to create canals for Interlochen.

I was hoping to find lunch today whilst walking, that being lunch in the form of an armadillo. But I saw no armadillos. I did see some squirrels, turtles and ducks, none of which sounded as tasty as an armadillo.

Last night, via Wikipedia, in a Wikipedia article titled Nine-Banded Armadillo, I learned the following...

During the Great Depression, the species was hunted for its meat in East Texas, where it was known as the poor man’s pork, or the "Hoover hog" by those who considered President Herbert Hoover to be responsible for the depression. Earlier, German settlers in Texas would often refer to the armadillo as Panzerschwein ("armored pig").In 1995, the nine-banded armadillo was, with some resistance, made the state small mammal of Texas, where it is considered a pest and is often seen dead on the roadside. They first forayed into Texas across the Rio Grande from Mexico in the 19th century, eventually spreading across the southeast United States.

A Hoover Hog? Because armadillo tastes like pork?

I did not know that the armadillo being made the state small mammal of Texas was controversial. I also did not know armadillos are considered, by some, to be a pest.

I figured the armadillo was the state small mammal of Texas because they are just so darn cute and cuddly.

The lunch bell just rang.

Pizza.

With no roasted or barbecued armadillo

Dam Hopping With An Armadillo Wondering About The Sarcastic Jones Curse

In the picture you are looking west across one of the dams that help make the canals that make up Interlochen.

Interlochen is an Arlington neighborhood that one eventually walks to when one walks with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Today the amount of water spilling over the dam was low enough that I was able to walk across it to Interlochen.

I saw only one armadillo today, doing something I did not know an armadillo could do. As in run fast in a sort of hopping motion.

Armadillos are so cute, today I was wondering if anyone has ever managed to turn an armadillo into a house pet. I suspect not.

Changing the subject from cute armadillos to my cute nephew, Spencer Jack.

This morning I got an email from Spencer Jack's dad which asked an interesting question.....

Thought you'd get a laugh to know that Spencer's kindergarten teacher told him that he is very "sarcastic." 

Is this a Jones curse?

I really don't think being sarcastic is any sort of curse.

Why would a teacher think it is okay to tell a 5 year old that he is "very sarcastic"? That seems wrong to me.

I was traumatized when I was a 7th grader when a teacher told me I was "obnoxiously precocious".

At that point in time I knew what "obnoxious" meant, but had no idea what "precocious" meant. So I found a dictionary and did not really understand the definition. My extremely delicate feelers were terribly hurt, with me assuming that being obnoxiously precocious was a really bad thing.

It was years until I realized that being an obnoxiously precocious 7th grader was a good thing to be.

I hope Spencer's dad is able to get Spencer to understand that being sarcastic is an admirable trait. And that his teacher was complimenting him....

Armadillos Are In Texas While Crocs Are In Washington's Skagit River

Skagit River Croc

The past couple days I've blogged a couple pictures of encounters with armadillos, one at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area and another, yesterday, at River Legacy Park.

Last night Spencer Jack's dad, my favorite nephew named Jason, emailed me with the subject line being "Armadillos."

The message in Spencer Jack's dad's email was...

Cool pics of the armadillos. I've never seen one. I did however spot this croc in the Skagit River today.

It took me a second or two to spot the croc in the picture.

Spencer Jack's dad has the Jones family sense of humor down pat.

I think I will go mountain biking at Gateway Park today, on my way to Town Talk to get me some Chicken Samosas.

I have only had one armadillo encounter at Gateway Park.

And that was not with a living armadillo.

My one and only Gateway Park armadillo encounter was with the armadillo victim of an unsolved murder committed with a gun.

December 7 May Be A Date That Will Live In Infamy For One River Legacy Jackrabbit

Today is the second day in a row I've had lunch with a friendly armadillo. Actually it is the armadillo who is having lunch, I just watch.

Yesterday's armadillo was at the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, today's was at River Legacy Park, whilst biking the mountain bike trail.

Today's armadillo was more friendly than yesterday's.

It was a rather wild wildlife day at River Legacy today, even before I had lunch with the armadillo.

Not long after I entered the park I was startled by a jackrabbit jackrabbiting at high speed across my path. I was a fraction of a millisecond into being startled by the jackrabbit jackrabbiting when I was even more startled to see a bobcat fast on the jackrabbit's tail.

There was no way I could possibly have been quick enough to get a picture of the bobcat chasing lunch. I hit the brakes and watched the duo disappear into the jungle of trees.

Changing the subject from the ruthless law of the jungle to the odd fact that only minutes ago did I realize that today is that one day of the year that President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated would live in infamy, December 7, Pearl Harbor Day.

And yet, even though this day, due to the unfortunate event 71 years ago, is supposed to live in infamy, I have seen no mention made anywhere, not in the online new sources I look at, not on the radio, not on the cable news, not on the 4 History Channels I get on my TV.

I suppose mentioned has been made about this being Pearl Harbor Day and I missed it.

That, or this day is not nearly as infamous as it used to be. We have had an infamous day, or two, since December 7, 1941. November 22, 1963 comes to mind. As does September 11, 2001.

Walking With Village Creek Indian Ghosts Wondering How One Gets Some Legal Washington Marijuana

Today, in the noon timeframe, I was walking with the Indian Ghosts, who haunt Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area, when I heard a familiar rustling noise.

It was an armadillo.

The State Small Mammal of Texas.

This was a big one. I made a noise to catch the foraging critter's attention, which caused it to sort of get on its rear haunches and quickly look around, too quickly for me to get a picture of an armadillo on its haunches before it got back to foraging.

Is an armadillo edible? I have no idea. I remember a restaurant one saw soon upon leaving the freeway, in Woodinville, in Washington, that seemed to indicate armadillo was on the menu, that indication made via text painted on a window. I always assumed this was some sort of joke, the humor of which escaped me.

Speaking of Washington. I knew that today is the day that smoking marijuana became legal in Washington. During lunch I watched coverage of this on CNN. Apparently you can have up to an ounce of pot in your possession. However, it is illegal to sell or grow the weed. I know the state already has medicinal marijuana growers, but that is not were you can get your recreational smoking material.

Very perplexing.

So, even though it is now legal to smoke the stuff in my old home state, there is no way to legally obtain the herb.

In addition to it being illegal to buy marijuana for recreational use, in Washington, it is also illegal to smoke it in public. Which seems a bit odd, to me. The CNN story showed a smoking celebration at the base of the Space Needle. In public. And way back when I still lived in Washington smoking the stuff in public was not all that frowned upon.

Methinks this new law in Washington has opened a can of worms, to coin a phrase (or is this already a cliche?) that may lead to some interesting twists and turns before the legal recreational use of marijuana in Washington situation becomes clear.

Does anyone know what the usual lag time is that it takes one of the non-progressive states to adopt the changes that the progressive states make? I know droopy drawers left Washington sometime back in the last century, while I regular still see that abomination, in Texas, as recently as on the drive to walk with the Indian Ghosts.

Prohibition ended in Washington back in the early 1930s,  while it lingers, in various forms, in Texas,  8 decades later.

Running River Legacy Park Mountain Bike Trails With An Armadillo

Shall I Bike? Or Shall I Hike? Neither. I'll Run.

Today my means of acquiring endorphins from aerobic stimulation was to go running on the mountain bike trails in River Legacy Park.

I am being a bit surprised at how easily and quickly I've transitioned into running after years of only running when circumstances warranted that behavior, circumstances like being chased by a dog, running for cover in a downpour, that type thing.

I have biked the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails dozens of times. I have walked the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails a couple times. Walking these trails seemed to take a long time, likely it seemed that way because my locomotive means on these trails had usually been bi-pedaling.

Well.

Today I was surprised by how quickly I was covering the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails in running mode. It was being fun, but I think I may have overdone it, a bit. So far nothing seems to be sore.

At one point one of my favorite type critters quickly crossed my path. I stopped and grabbed my camera.

The Armadillo is the Official State of Texas Small Mammal. I don't know what the Official State of Texas Large Mammal is. I know I could quickly find out. My guess is that it is the Longhorn.

Just a sec, I'll see....

Yes, the Longhorn is the Official State of Texas Large Mammal.

I don't remember if my old home state had official this that or the other things. If Washington did have an Official State of Washington Large Mammal I would guess it would be the Orca.

Tuesday Afternoon Chills After I Did Not Go Over A Cliff At Gateway Park Pedaling Past The Park's Armadillo Corpse

The sun had not yet heated the outer world to over 100 degrees, today, when I pedaled past the Gateway Park murdered armadillo corpse, on my way to the entry to the FWMBA mountain bike trail.

Due to trees and underbrush providing a thick jungle-like canopy, the almost total shade makes for a totally non-HOT mountain biking experience in Gateway Park.

On Saturday, when my sister who lives in Arizona went hiking with me on the Tandy Hills, she was lamenting about the lack of shade trees along her walking paths in the desert she calls home.

Shade is a good thing.

In the picture above you are looking over my handlebars at the Trinity River. Usually my digital camera somehow turns the Trinity River water into a color that makes it look much more appealing, and blue, than it actually looks.

I don't know what made the difference, but today my digital camera managed to accurately capture the actual slimy green color of the Trinity River, in its current state of being perfect for a bacteria-laden inner tube float.

In the picture it appears I am at the Trinity River's edge. In reality my handlebars are at the edge of a cliff about 40 feet above the river. Pedaling fast on the Gateway Park FWMBA mountain bike trail, if one were to make a wrong turn, at a key point, one might find oneself flying into the river.

As I sit here typing I've been noticing the temperature plummeting, as measured by my computer based weather monitoring device. In a very short time we have gone from being over 100 to a slightly chilly 88, supposedly with light rain, as you can via the graphic below. I must step outside and see if I feel chilly and slightly dampened.

Well, stepping outside I could feel the chill, but I felt no light rain. But, clouds have arrived and I can see where rain might be currently falling on parts of this great metropolis.

This has been a rather rapid invasion of clouds. When I was in the outer world a couple hours ago, at Gateway Park, I don't recollect seeing any clouds.

Avoiding Fun Town In River Legacy Park While Looking For Herds Of Little Wild Pigs

I was back at River Legacy Park in Arlington, today, to subject myself the the myriad maze of mountain bike trails.

In the picture you are looking at my handlebars looking at the sign pointing the way to Fun Town. That is a red skull and crossbones on the right on the sign. Next to the directional arrow, that points the way to Fun Town, is the word "EXPERT."

In mountain biking terms, to me, the word "expert" means "young daredevil." The entry into Fun Town is a near vertical drop. Not my idea of a fun bike ride.

Today I avoided the perilous juncture that got me way too close to young daredevil territory last Friday.

I am being a bit perplexed about not seeing any wildlife whilst pedaling the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails. I used to see a lot of armadillos, bobcats, snakes and herds of little wild pigs. I may have seen a squirrel today. I heard no birds chirping. Or cicadas. The deep woods was being deadly silent. That just does not seem natural to me.

A Sunny Sunday Once Again Pedaling Past A Gateway Park Armadillo Corpse

Swimming, this morning, was uneventful, except for the fact that the water seems to be being unnaturally cooler than the air.

Mountain biking at Gateway Park was uneventful, today, with nothing striking me with an urge to get out the camera to take a picture.

I was not pleased to see that the corpse of the murdered Gateway Park armadillo has not had a proper burial. The corpse has been moved a couple feet, no longer resting in peace on the paved trail that leads to the mountain bike trail.

A few minutes ago, mid Sunday afternoon, I stepped outside to retrieve my swimming suit from the pool patio and took a picture of the extremely sunny Sunday view of the outer world at my location on the planet.

We have not yet reached the 100 degree mark, this sunny Sunday. I suspect that will occur within the next 2 hours.

Yesterday I was more than a little surprised to learn that my parental units, unbeknownst to me, last week, escaped the Arizona heat by driving to Montana, with a drive through Yellowstone National Park on the way.

Why my parental unit's sudden roadtrip surprised me is because just a couple days before their departure I was told that they were in no condition to escape the Arizona HEAT by driving to a cool place, like Bend, Oregon, for example, even though they had a very good reason to drive to Bend, Oregon.

Tomorrow is my mom and dad's 61st Anniversary. It is easy to remember my mom and dad's anniversary because it is the same day that Hiroshima got nuked. I guess they couldn't wait til December 7 to get married, and so August 6 became the day.

I Returned To Gateway Park Today & Mountain Biked To A Fort Worth Murder Scene

I was more than just a little unsettled to come upon a brutal murder scene today in Gateway Park.

A likely psychopath shot and killed the armadillo you see in the picture.

I saw multiple gunshot wounds. Doing a forensic examination of the crime scene I was able to determine that the armadillo was first shot about 20 feet from where it died. I made this determination due to a pool of blood, with a trickle of blood leading to the final resting place.

At what time of the day would anyone feel free enough from prying eyes to feel like they could discharge a firearm in a Fort Worth city park and murder an armadillo?

The armadillo is the Official State Small Mammal of Texas. Is murdering one of the Official State Small Mammals of Texas a capital offense in this state? If not, I really think it should be.

The animal kingdom in Gateway Park was acting odd today. Maybe in reaction to the armadillo murder. I saw only one squirrel acting squirrelly. Usually it is dozens of squirrels acting squirrelly.

Previously I'd not seen a lizard in Gateway Park. Today I saw at least a half dozen, all of whom were acting squirrelly. As I pedaled towards the lizards they'd be looking away from the trail, and then right before I reached it, the lizard would turn around and run across the trail right in front of me, forcing a brake application. Over and over again, like the cute reptiles had a death wish.

The lizard behavior was unsettling. Not as unsettling as the murdered armadillo, though.

It was a good thing to be back on my bike again, after having totally recovered from the bout of soreness that had had me cutting back on doing much of anything that was too physically stimulating, which pretty much left me with walking, swimming and doing yoga, while I recovered.

Mountain biking, when the temperature nears 100, is totally doable. Between the shade and the cooling self generated air movement, one keeps almost cool. Until one stops.

Currently the outer world at my location is heated to 105, while really feeling like 111. We have a couple hours to go before the air starts to cool down. I suspect a temperature record is going to be set today.

The Sun Sets On Mother's Day Biking At River Legacy Park With Armadillos

The Mother's Day Sun Sets Over Texas

The nuclear sky orb was in sun set mode as I headed west after heading east to bike at River Legacy Park in Arlington this Mother's Day Evening.

River Legacy Park was very very busy tonight. Large family groups in Mother's Day picnic mode, or so it appeared to me.

And a lot of mothers on the trail, biking, walking, blocking the trail in places, with too many kids in tow. I'd kindly stop, til the congestion alleviated, since it is Mother's Day and one must be kind to mothers and their broods.

For the first time in a long time, tonight, I saw armadillos in River Legacy Park. A pair of the cute little critters, being very frisky. Too fast and frisky for me to get a picture. I suspect these were adolescent armadillos because they were halfway between baby size and full size. Frisky teenagers.

I believe River Legacy Park opened soon before I arrived in Texas in 1998. When I first visited this park, some time in 1999, it was not very busy. Not at all. And now, over a decade later, methinks Arlington did a real good thing when the city, or whoever, decided to build this park.

Methinks now someone needs to figure out a way to add some more parking space. There were a lot of vehicles, tonight, parked on the "NO PARKING" grass zone at the side of the road.

Also, all the outhouses need to go. I know the modern restroom is being worked on. But, there needs to be more than that one modern restroom. And there needs to be running water and a restroom by the big pavilion that people rent for events, like weddings, or whatever was going on there tonight. It ain't pretty seeing such a nice facility with a row of outhouses at the edge of the parking lot. I know it's a flood zone, but I'm sure a smart engineer could engineer a solution.

Arlington has a gem in River Legacy Park. That gem just needs some polishing and it'll be perfect.

On The Tandy Hills Finding A Football, Underwear & Armadillo While Wondering About Elsie Hotpepper Wanting To Be A Snake Charmer

Mysterious Shorts, Underwear & Football

Today on the Tandy Hills I went where I seldom go. I parked on View Street, which had me heading to the hills via the View Street Trail.

At the first trail junction I headed west instead of my regular east.

The west side of the View Street Trail is more heavily wooded, more primitively trailed, more easy to get a bit lost and way less visited than the not visited all that much east side of the View Street Trail.

At one point the trail I was on pretty much petered out at a creek running crystal clear water. I crossed the creek and came upon an odd scene.

A football and black jockey briefs on the ground, with a pair of shorts hanging above them on a bush.

Why would anyone carry a football to this isolated location, then take off and leave their shorts and underwear?

Is This The Remains Of An Armadillo?

A short distance from the football I came upon another perplexing sight.

A few days ago I mentioned that I had never seen an armadillo on the Tandy Hills and suggested some of that particular State Animal of Texas should be imported to the Tandy Hills.

Well.

Today I came upon what looked to be the remains of the shell of an armadillo. I don't know what else it could have been if it is not an armadillo.

Changing the subject from one of my favorite Texas animals to one of my favorite Texans, Elsie Hotpepper.

Today I had to deliver sad news to Elsie Hotpepper. For who knows what reason Elsie had her heart set on entering the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant in the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.

I did not enjoy delivering to Elsie the heartbreaking news that she did not have time to register as a student at Sweetwater High School in time to qualify for the Miss Snake Charmer Pageant.

Maybe next year.

Was That A Trout Lily I Saw Today On The Tandy Hills Along With A Man In Black?

This May Be A Tandy Hills Trout Lily

I have not gone on any of the annual Botanist led Trout Lily Nature Hikes on the Tandy Hills, so I am not certain I know for sure what a Trout Lily looks like, but I think this wildflower I saw today on the Tandy Hills may be one of the elusive Trout Lilies.

This particular bloom was located beside the trail that leads up the hill to the south of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee Grotto.

Signs of springs are starting to add color to the currently mostly brown Texas prairie.

I think we may be heading to a very good Texas wildflower season. If you have not visited Texas before and you want to see the state when it is being its most colorful, make your way here the coming Spring.

In addition to the alleged Trout Lily I had another unusual siting today on the Tandy Hills.

Tandy Creek Roaring Over Tandy Falls

As I hiked down Mount Tandy I saw on a distant trail another human. A Man in Black. I do not know who the Man in Black managed it, but somehow by the time I got my camera out to take a picture of the surprising amount of water flowing over Tandy Hills, the Man in Black suddenly was on the north side of the falls.

I howdy-ed the Man in Black, which is proper Texas trail etiquette. The Man in Black howdy-ed me back. And continued on his way, surprisingly via the still very muddy, formerly raw sewage flooded, Tandy Highway.

I then climbed the steep trail that leads west to the View Street trail. A short time after that I was surprised to encounter the Man in Black again. That was one fast moving Man in Black.

Changing the subject from the Man in Black to something else.

I think some armadillos should be moved to the Tandy Hills. It does not seem right that I've seen dozens of armadillos over the years at River Legacy Park and the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, but never a single armadillo on the Tandy Hills.

Dragging Myself To The Tandy Hills In Search Of Horse Apples & Henry David Thoreau

After Don Young's rather pointed suggestion that I drag myself to the Tandy Hills, I did as instructed about 2 hours after being told to do so.

As I dragged myself around the Tandy Hills today I looked at what I was looking at with Henry David Thoreau in mind. Also due to Don Young's extreme mentoring influence.

The Great North Texas Drought has caused a lot of death and destruction on the Tandy Hills. And elsewhere in this parched part of the planet.

But there is still a lot of greenery, as you can see in the picture above. Big green trees near the now dry Tandy Falls.

The big green trees had me thinking back to hiking under even bigger green trees on the hikes I'd go on in Washington, often in the Cascades, sometimes over on the Olympic Peninsula, or out on islands in the Puget Sound, like hiking the trails of Deception Pass State Park.

This had me remembering one huge difference between hiking in Texas and hiking in Washington. A lot of the big green trees in Washington are evergreens; fir, pine and cedar trees. Fir, pine and cedar trees are quite odoriferous. So, when you hike a Washington trail, til you get above the treeline, it smells like Christmas. At times blackberries, wild blueberries and wild flowers will add to the odoriferousness.

I can't really recollect hiking on a Texas trail and thinking to myself that that sure smells good.  Unless someone is barbecuing nearby. Now that smells good.

A few days ago I learned that the Osage Orange Horse Apple tree is indigenous to this part of the planet, a native to North Texas that eventually was spread to other parts of America. This had me wondering why I've never seen any Osage Orange trees on the all natural Tandy Hills.

This Is Not A Horse Apple

Just as I was wondering about the absence of Tandy Hills Osage Orange trees I saw a lime green Horse Apple looking object in the distance.

I was about 20 feet distant from the "Horse Apple" when it became clear I had not uncovered evidence of a Tandy Hills Osage Orange tree.

Since we are on the subject of Tandy Hills foliage and fauna. Well, actually, we were not on the subject of fauna til now.

A couple days ago, at Village Creek Natural Historical Area, I saw a small armadillo. I've not had many armadillo sightings at Village Creek the last couple years. And no snakes. I've long thought a massive flood a couple years ago may have wreaked havoc with the armadillo and snake populations of Village Creek and River Legacy Park.

I have seen snakes only a couple times on the Tandy Hills. And unlike Village Creek and River Legacy, the Tandy Hills snakes have not been of the rattlesnake, copperhead or water moccasin variety.

And I have never seen an armadillo foraging on the Tandy Hills. It seems like this would be a nice location for the little guys. Maybe some armadillos could be imported to keep the Tandy Hills Roadrunner company.

Going Swimming In Texas While Not Petting An Armadillo Or Worrying About The World Ending May 21

As you can see, looking up at the Texas sky, this last Thursday of April, it is another blue sky morning at my location on the planet.

Speaking of the planet. I was a little surprised to learn, when I looked at the Seattle P-I this morning, that the world is scheduled to end on May 21. There is a billboard on Aurora Avenue, in Seattle, telling people to save that date because Christ will be returning on that day.

These billboards have been popping up around the country. I have not seen one in my current location in the Buckle of the Bible Belt.

A guy named Harold Camping, of something called Family Radio, is behind the May 21 date. Mr. Camping gets really riled up over those people who claim the world will end in 2012, saying, “That date has not one stitch of biblical authority. It’s like a fairy tale.”

Meanwhile, while I wait for the world to end, I also learned I should not pet my pet armadillo because doing so may cause leprosy. I do not want to become a leper before Jesus arrives and ends the world.

I think I will go swimming now and try to block out worrying about the world ending and catching leprosy.