Walking Carefully Past Live Ordnance In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

Earlier today I mentioned that I heard no 4th of July explosions of the firecracker sort, either on the actual Independence Day, or the days prior, or, so far, the day after.

After today's walking with the Village Creek Natural Historical Area Indian Ghosts I've decided I may be hard of hearing, due to the fact that I saw evidence today of massive explosive power, having been exploded, plus unexploded ordnance left on the ground, deep inside the Village Creek Natural Historical Area area.

The Village Creek Natural Historical Area is only a couple mile from my abode. I would think I would hear TNT Ground Blasters blasting.

Or the ground shaking.

At some point in time during the 4th of July evening I did hear military jets zipping overhead. I assumed this had something to do with whatever was going on at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium, or the Ballpark in Arlington, or both.

Dozens Of Unexploded Firecrackers

In the second picture you are looking at a wider view of the dozens upon dozens of unexploded firecrackers laying uncracked on the ground.

Were the firecrackers duds?

Or did something or someone scare the firecracker crackers, causing them to run away in fright, tossing their unexploded explosives to the ground?

Did they see a Ghost? Or maybe a Host of Ghosts?

I imagine the Indian Ghosts who haunt Village Creek do not take kindly to what sounds like gunfire. It would likely remind them of the noise made by the Texans when they came to evict them from their land.

No 4th Of July Firecrackers Cracking In Texas While I Drink Beet Juice Lemonade

It is almost 4 in the afternoon of the 4th of July in Texas. I have yet to hear the crack of a single firecracker or any other noisemaker.

Those of you reading this in Washington, particularly those reading this in the Skagit Valley, know why I find this 4th of July quiet so strange.

Before moving to Texas and experiencing the reality of Texas, had you asked me what I thought the 4th of July would be like in Texas I would have guessed that the noise level would be greatly louder than Washington.

Instead it is very, very quiet.

The Tandy Hills Bamboo Tepee is still standing. It has been months since this mysterious piece of Guerrilla Art appeared deep inside the Tandy Hills.

Why did someone go to the effort of hauling 14 long bamboo poles, over difficult, rocky trails, up and down hills, to this particular location? And then build a Bamboo Tepee?

I may not be hearing any firecrackers cracking, but I sure am hearing a lot of cicadas cracking.

Speaking of wildlife. I have not seen a single lizard on the Tandy Hills this year. Last year I saw many lizards, including one very big one. Where are the lizards?

Wink has no 4th of July celebration of the city organized sort. But, apparently a group skinny dipping 4th of July party is planned for one of the Wink Sinkholes. I learned this from the Queen of Wink who was thinking of dipping in the Wink Sink today.

I had a tasty 4th of July lunch today. Pizza, pulled BBQ pork, beet onion salad and beet juice lemonade.

You are what you eat...

A Slightly Blue Sky 4th Of July Texas Morning With No Firecrackers

The blue sky is not an illusion. The dawn of the 4th of July view from my patio is not gray this morning. Some blue sky has returned over North Texas.

I think this slightly blue sky may be only a temporary respite from rain. The forecast for the 4th of July is a 50% chance of rain. Which usually means it is going to rain a lot.

Rain is in the forecast for each of the next 6 days.

Too much wetness is getting really old. But, I guess it has been a good thing to see brown grass turn back green again.

I think I've said it before, likely on 4th of July last year, but the 4th of July in Texas is so weird. When I moved to Texas, it being the Wild West Cowboy state that it is, I figured the 4th of July would be explosive, with people having way too much fun with fireworks. Much more so than my old location in the refined progressive sophisticated State of Washington.

Where I lived in Mount Vernon (is that not a nice patriotic 4th of July name?) Washington, in a neighborhood called Thunderbird, which was quite hilly, built in a forest of tall cedar and fir trees, the 4th of July was like a war zone.

Neighbors would set up competing fireworks launch zones. Set off a barrage. And then another neighbor would try and top it. There was absolutely nothing forbidding this behavior. In Washington it is very easy to obtain all the explosives you want. All the Indian Reservations have very big Boom Towns.

In Texas I do not believe there are any Boom Towns selling fireworks.

It is the morning of the 4th of July in Texas and I have not heard a single firecracker. The 4th of July will come and go and I likely will not have heard a single firecracker.

I can't help but wonder if in the past some really bad stuff happened here on the 4th of July which led to the repressive firecracker crackdown. It's not like Texans have some sort of innate aversion to things that go boom. Just witness the laidback attitude towards natural gas randomly going boom.

The lack of firecrackers going boom in Texas is very perplexing.