Hiking The Chilly Tandy Hills With Allergic Misery

In the picture you are on top of Mount Tandy, looking west across the old wagon trail that heads towards the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth. Those are Fort Worth's tall skyscrapers you see at the end of the road, barely sticking up above the brush.

Today I wondered to myself if any other big town in America has such a primitive road so close to its downtown core? That such a road exists is sort of impressive, somehow avoiding any modern world developments.

Today was the first cool day on the Tandy Hills, in the temperature sense of the cool word, in a very long time. The coolness was made even cooler by a very strong wind blowing.

I was a little disturbed today to see that the ice chest and burial crypt remain just as I found them, way back on August 25. I thought by now someone would have removed the ice chest. Or at least flipped it over and opened it. I guess everyone who passes that location is as squeamish as I am.

Changing the subject from ice chests and burial crypts to my declining health.

Yesterday afternoon I began having respiratory woes. For a short period I wondered if this was what a heart attack felt like. That feeling subsided, after which I was left with the symptoms of an incoming cold. As in sneezing, watery eyes, plugged up breathing tubes.

My condition worsened as the evening progressed. I escaped fairly early to bed, hoping that peaceful slumber would bring relief.

But no sleep came. I got up and searched my medicine cabinet for a drug. I don't like taking drugs unless the situation is dire. I found a bottle of anti-histamines. I popped one of the little white pills. Soon relief followed.

The benefits of the anti-histamine pill have now worn off and I am starting to be at the same point of cold-like misery I was at yesterday afternoon at this time. I really don't want to pop another pill, but I fear I will have no other choice, even though I dread the side effects.

On my way back from the Tandy Hills, as I drove on to my property, I saw Miss Puerto Rico summoning me. Miss Puerto Rico was with Miss Crystal. I exited my vehicle to converse with that pair. Seems they have also been suddenly plagued with the same woes I am plagued with.

Miss Puerto Rico is blaming the woes on all the construction that started up the past couple days. Heavy equipment has been tearing up Boca Raton Boulevard. Lots of dust. I learned  from Miss Puerto that this is the notorious Chesapeake Energy pipeline laying operation that is making the big mess. I should have figured that out myself when I passed a pickup that had a business name with the word "Energy" at the end of the name.

I really think it is a stretch to blame this on the pipeline construction, but this is the only thing that has changed in the past couple days at my location. And Miss Puerto Rico is convinced this is the cause of our misery. She is like the parakeet in a mine, so sensitive are her allergies.

I think I will go pop a little white pill now.

Visiting A Pipeline Construction Project On Fort Worth's Trinity Trails Without Elsie Hotpepper

Looking Across Trinity Falls At A Guard

For several weeks now, driving over the Trinity River, via Beach Street, I've noticed some heavy duty heavy equipment activity.

Lots of bulldozers and other pieces of machinery. Plus several white pickups.

White pickups always make me nervous.

Plus, what appeared to be a guard standing near the paved Trinity Trail.

As I drove away from my abode today, to head to Gateway Park to see up close what all that heavy equipment is doing, I flipped open my phone to see that Elsie Hotpepper had called me.

So, on my way to Gateway I called the Hotpepper to see if she wanted to go walking in Gateway Park with me. I got the Elsie Hotpepper is indisposed message.

Heavy Equipment On The Trinity Trail Making Dust Storm

In the first photo above you see the man standing guard at the entry to the area being worked on by heavy equipment. I suspect he is stationed there to prevent any collisions between heavy equipment and bike riders, of which, today, there were many.

While I was still on the south side of the Trinity River I saw the piece of equipment you see in the second photo, going back and forth on the Trinity Trail, under the Beach Street Bridge, then to where a new road has been made for the heavy equipment, then back again, stirring up a lot of dust in the process.

Trail Guard Sign With Trail Guard

As I walked across the dam bridge that causes Trinity Falls, I saw a regular looking car drive up to the trail guard. By the time I was on the levee on the south side of the river I saw that the heavy equipment operator, the trail guard and a man in what looked to be policeman type uniform, heatedly seeming to discuss something.

When I got to the Trail Guard I asked, "What are you constructing here?"

"No." was the Trail Guard's reply.

I don't think he spoke English.

Why Are Tires Appearing All Over Fort Worth Parks?

I then asked if they were putting in a pipeline.

"Si." the Trail Guard said.

A natural gas pipeline I then asked.

"Si." he said again.

Is this the pipeline carrying non-odorized natural gas from the controversial Scott Avenue Chesapeake Energy drill site? Chesapeake backed off from endangering Carter Avenue with this pipeline.

Closeup Look At The Muddy Pipeline Road

But all this pipeline activity is on the opposite side of the freeway from Carter Avenue and the Scott Avenue source of the non-odorized gas that was going to run under Carter Avenue.

The last two photos are giving you a closer look at the "road" that has been punched through on top of the Trinity River levee's south side.

There were a lot of eyes and white pickups in the vicinity of my camera, which made me a bit nervous about my picture taking.

In the last picture a big piece of heavy equipment is heading towards me. I snapped the above photo, then put my camera away. The big piece of heavy equipment heading towards me was carrying a long piece of what looked, to me, to be narrow pipe.

Visiting this gas-related activity up close really did not make it any clearer to me what is being done there. I don't believe I'd seen a wood plank road over mud before. So, I guess seeing that made the walk worthwhile.

I also learned today that, apparently, the paved Trinity River hiking, biking trails are engineered to be able to support heavy equipment without cracking up.