62 Degrees Windows Open Birds Chirping Feeling Chipper In Fort Worth Texas

That's me on my 4th Groundhog Day in a row, once more back to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

As you can see the walking today was done in a short sleeved shirt. Right now, at a little past 4 in the afternoon it is 60. The high today has been 62.

62!

Is this the first time it has been in the 60s this year in my formerly Arctic area of North Texas? I don't remember.

I think I'll open a window just because it will feel good. And will help cool me down. The low tonight is supposed to get down to 45. Previously, anytime a day's average stayed above 50 the pool heated up enough to make swimming for 10-15 minutes doable. We'll see.

With the window open I hear a lot of birds chirping. Very happy, are they, with this hint of the coming spring. It is a symphony of bird chirping out there. Such an upbeat sound. It almost cures what ails me.

Texas Governor Rick Perry's Only Asset Is His Hair Says Billy Mitchell

On the flip side of the cover of this week's Fort Worth Weekly there is a half page political ad that caught my eye.

The name of the guy who paid for the ad seemed familiar but I did not remember why til I went to his website.

Billy Mitchell. I first heard of him when he put up the billboard you see in the picture.

Victim of eminent domain abuse in, I believe, Parker County. That is the county to the west of the county I live in, that being Tarrant. Parker County has this real nice annual event called the Parker County Peach Festival.

Billy Mitchell is not a fan of Texas Governor, Rick Perry. I don't know anyone who is. But Perry somehow gets elected governor. I call this type thing the Mike Moncrief Conundrum.

I think I'll go to the bother of typing in Billy Mitchell's ad. I will change one word though. I will change "crap" to "bull" because I saw on his website someone suggested he do so...

I BELIEVE RICK PERRY'S ONLY ASSET
IS BEAUTIFUL HAIR: OTHERWISE HE IS
JUST COMPLETELY FULL OF BULL!!!

Is it really necessary for Governor Rick Perry
and his wife to live in a three story mansion at
$10,000 a month bill to Texas taxpayers?

Texas Governor Bill Clements moved to a
$1,500 a month condominium when repairs forced
him out of the Governor's mansion.

Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee moved
into a mobile home. "I am a Republican, trying to
save the taxpayer's money," Huckabee explained.

---

When Perry was a Democrat, he billed
taxpayers more to fly aboard a private airplane
than any other legislator.

---

Texas taxpayers paid over $12,000 so Perry
could attend a bachelor party in Las Vegas.

---

Taxpayers paid over $32,000
when Perry attend private meetings with
campaign donors in New York.

---

While Texas Workforce Commission is
overwhelmed by the surge in unemployment,
Perry acts surprised to hear there is
a recession going on.

---

Nine foreign trips by Perry and his wife cost
taxpayers almost $260,000.

---

Perry was not a millionaire until after he
became a politician.

---

No recessions going on in Rick Perry's world,
thanks to the Texas taxpayers!

---

Political ad paid for by Billy Mitchell of Aledo, Texas

Sources found at www.billymitchellsworld.com
(254) 486-0044

Fort Worth & Chesapeake Energy Are Conspiring To Take Away The Life, Liberty & Pursuit Of Happiness Of Steve Doeung

That is Fort Worth's #1 Lone Ranger, Steve Doeung, armed for battle against the Fascist powers attacking him.

A couple days ago I realized I'd sort of stuck my head back in the sand, tired of being a fruitless ostrich, howling at the moon. I'm one of the naive sorts who think if you point out something obviously wrong, that the obvious wrong will get rectified. Sometimes it does. But more often not.

Like if you explain what Conflicts of Interest are and how the Mayor of Fort Worth, Mike Moncrief, makes more than $600,000 a year from the various Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drillers operating in the town of which he is mayor, and who does not recuse himself from decision making regarding the gas drillers, well, this is what is known as criminal activity, possibly even racketeering.

Minimally Mike Moncrief should be removed from office. Ideally, removed from office, brought to trial, convicted and imprisoned with a healthy multi-million dollar fine.

I don't know why the federal government, via the FBI does not do something. Then again, Texas is now a state willing to sue the federal government, as in the EPA, to try and put a stop to the federal government's attempts to get Texas to stop being so environmentally irresponsible.

The various Texas state agencies, like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, show little concern, if any, regarding the air pollution issues which have arisen from the Barnett Shale drilling and how that pollution is affecting the health of Texans. Even after troubling statistics crop up, such as something like 25% of Barnett Shale kids have asthma, while the non-Barnett Shale kids of Texas have a 7% asthma rate.

So, the state of Texas decides to deal with the pollution problem by suing the federal agency that is trying to look out for the best interests of the majority of Texans, not just those Texans making money by poking holes in the ground.

Now, back to Steve Doeung, Fort Worth's #1 Lone Ranger. He is due to be back in court, to face Chesapeake Energy and the City of Forth Worth, again, in a few weeks, in his solo fight to stop the abuse of eminent domain to take his property so that an un-odorized natural gas pipeline can be run under his house.

Would you like an un-odorized natural gas pipeline under your house?

How would you feel about eminent domain being abused, in cahoots with the city you live in, to attack you in this way?

How would you feel if, after you resisted the attempt to take your property, the city attempted to intimidate you by ordering a Goon Squad of Code Inspectors, along with Fort Worth Gestapo Stormtroopers to invade your house, terrify your kids, issuing all sorts of bogus "code violations?"

If Steve Doeung had committed a crime, I don't know, like if he had invaded someone's home to intimidate someone, Steve would be provided with legal assistance. But here we have Steve being attacked by what is widely believed to be a very corrupt, likely to a criminal level, corporation called Chesapeake Energy, in cooperation with the City of Fort Worth, which is also corrupt, and there is no legal help available for Steve Doeung.

A wise man once supposedly said, "What you do to the least among us, you do unto me."

Is there not one single lawyer in all of North Texas, or America, willing to help Steve Doeung in his fight to keep his home safe?

Is there not one lawyer, anywhere, who can see the possibility of helping Steve Doeung bring a counter-suit against Chesapeake Energy and the City of Fort Worth? Just go from the city ordered home invasion and build from there.

In the oft chance that 60 Minutes has someone watching for Google Alerts that mention 60 Minutes. Well, here in Fort Worth we've got a story that the rest of America needs to know about. We've got a man named Steve Doeung, who came to America to escape the Khmer Rouge, who is now under an equally insidious attack in his adopted country, America, a place Steve Doeung believed really was about Truth, Justice and something called the American Way, that American Way being a country where we can speak our mind to fight for our rights.

Ever heard of the phrase "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?" Those 3 concepts are at the base of our rights as Americans. Without fearing repercussion you can not trifle with the Life of an American. You can not trifle with the Liberty of an American. You can not trifle with the Pursuit of Happiness of an American.

In Fort Worth, Texas, which is part of America, the City of Fort Worth and its partner, Chesapeake Energy, has conspired to extremely trifle with the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness of American, Steve Doeung.

There will be repercussions.

This trifling with Steve Doeung needs to stop. Why is this case even being allowed to continue, after Chesapeake Energy admitted there was another route for the pipeline, one which would not go under homes? Why has this case not been thrown out?

I am tired of being perplexed.

Watching Fosdic Lake Duck Gangs With Diminished Cerebral Function & A Broken Heart

It is 55 outside, right now, at 5pm. I almost overheated walking around Fosdic Lake at Oakland Lake Park in today's Groundhog Day repeat.

I was up at Southlake at noon, my usual routine rendered all asunder.

I am currently on a strong anti-inflammatory, anti-pain medication. It seems to be working, but I don't think my cerebral function is running quite up to normal mode.

I don't know what got me thinking about it, because I haven't in a long time, but, on the way to Fosdic Lake I was thinking about my sister's hostile behavior, directed at me, starting in 2006, continuing in 2008, re-enforced since. I had no clue then and none now as to what motivated the choice to act so overtly hostile. It was difficult to suddenly find myself dealing with difficult people, particularly when they are relatives, when in my regular existence I don't tolerate being around difficult people with personality disorders. It's sort of a lifelong policy of mine.

Anyway, so that's what I was thinking about on the drive to Fosdic Lake, a long 3 mile drive, so I had a lot of time to think. When I parked and exited my vehicle, I saw on the pavement a perfect metaphor for how I was feeling. A broken heart that had chewing gum spit on it.

It was so nice to be out walking with the sun warming up the place for the first time in awhile. The ducks seemed to be being really happy. There was a lot of quacking and another noise I'd not heard the ducks make before. As I watched one Duck Gang move towards another Duck Gang I thought I was about to witness a duck version of the Crips vs. Bloods. Instead as the Duck Gangs entered each other's space they started acting as if they were mingling, and began making a squeaky, chirpy noise, as if they were talking to each other.

And then the leader of the Crips waddled out of the water, followed by both gangs. I thought they were going to move on me, because I was sitting on a park bench, like a stereotypical old man in a park with nothing better to do, but, instead of looking to me for food, the ducks were on a foraging mission, getting something to eat that was laying in the grass.

The picture above was taken on the opposite side of Fosdic Lake from where I watched the Duck Gangs. I was too fixated on watching the Duck Gangs, mingle and waddle, to think of pulling the camera out. Like I said, above, diminished cerebral function.

Peace Reigns With The Dawning Of The Age Of Aquarius In Texas

It is the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius, with peace returned to my blog. In the past 48 hours I have learned that the water in the Wink Sinkholes somehow is able to ignite very strange passions in people.

It started with a perfectly plausible question about the water. There were a few perfectly plausible replies. Then Garth Vader replied, to which the Queen of Wink replied, to which Garth Vader turned on his light saber and started swinging.

I tried to inject some sanity. But my conflict resolution skills are very weak.

Eventually Conflict Resolutionist, Jovan, took over and made order of the chaos. This caused Garth Vader to re-read, from the start, all the comments he'd made and caused to be made. Upon doing so, Garth realized he'd over-reacted, and all that followed was a reaction to his over-reaction.

This realization, by Garth, brought about what is believed to be the first ever occurrence of Garth apologizing for one of the instances of him creating conflict.

And then something happened that threatened the Peace Process. I received the Garth Heartfelt Apology message. When I read how contrite he was I immediately hit the 'publish' button.

A few hours went by with the mean-spirited commenting continuing. Garth then commented that I had not published his Heartfelt Apology. This led to more confusion. Eventually it was sorted out and the Garth Heartfelt Apology was published.

I found it a bit odd, this morning, after yesterday's Garth Heartfelt Apology, where he said he took full credit for the overreaction and that he now realized he was wrong, that on Garth's blog this morning he is saying, in a blogging titled The Nightmare is Over, "For the last couple days I have been raked across the coals, drug through the mud, hit below the belt, and verbally abused!"

This seems to indicate to me that Garth still doesn't get it. I don't know what to do. But, I ususally recognize a lost cause when I see one.

One good thing to come out of yesterday's chaos, in reaction to one of Garth's more excessive coal raking, mud dragging, below the belt, verbally abusive comments, I got myself a credible marriage proposal. I hadn't gotten one of those in weeks.

I'm Having Myself A Groundhog Day In Texas With Wildflowers

Some days I think I'm Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, living the same day over and over again, making little changes, hoping for a different day tomorrow.

Today is a Groundhog Day. Pool in the morning, too many hours at the computer, a going stir crazy walk around Fosdic Lake at Oakland Lake Park, just like yesterday.

And now I'm back here, getting annoying phone calls from someone who can't figure out how to set up their email.

Anyway, we've had a spike in the temperature. I wore no coat today. As I walked along I looked up and saw what looked like Mount Rainier in the distance. It was a very momentary illusion.

I was over at Miss Puerto Rico's on Valentines Day. She'd asked me to come over because she had a cherry flavored adult beverage for me. I thought it was cough syrup.

She had the Olympics on. She had not realized Vancouver was so close to where I used to live. The Cascade mountain scenery in British Columbia is pretty much the same as the Washington Cascade mountain scenery.

At one point Miss Puerto Rico says I have to ask you something. How could you move from that (pointing at the TV) to Texas? What do you mean, I asked? How could you live with all that snow all the time and then move to Texas?

She was operating under the assumption that everything up there is covered with snow and trees. I don't think she understood when I explained where I lived in Washington, usually, it was way warmer than Texas in winter, at least this winter in Texas. I tried to explain how there were really diverse climate zones within a small area up in the Washington region, but I gave up. Language barrier.

I saw a couple more wildflowers already coloring up the Texas winter today. A blue flower and a purple one.

The Winkies are continuing to be all kinds of kooky in comments to a blogging about the Wink Sinkholes. I think I mentioned that this morning. Now I've got the newly renamed, former Gar the Texan, now known as Garth Vader the Texan, commenting as Midland Molly in some sort of perverse attempt to make some point about being anonymous.

It is all very perplexing.

The Blue Sky Of Texas & More Lunacy Courtesy Of The Twin Peaks of Texas, Wink

You're looking at my very blue view, in a picture taken earlier this morning.

The current forecast is for 3 days in a row getting into the 60 degree zone, starting tomorrow. I'm thinking 60 will feel HOT after this Arctic deep freeze we've been suffering from here in North Texas.

I am computer bound til later this afternoon. I don't like it when that happens.

I've decided the Wink/Kermit area is the Twin Peaks of Texas. An awful lot of lunacy seems to happen in those parts, way out of proportion to the population, like it's got 18 loonies per 100 people where the national norm is 1.2 loonies per 100 and the Texas norm is 3.4 loonies per 100.

A couple days ago I blogged about the Wink Sinkholes. In that blogging I wondered where the water came from that made lakes out of the sinkholes, it being in the desert of West Texas.

Well, that simple question turned all sorts of weird, started by Garth the Texan, with an ill-considered comment that seemed to suggest the sinkhole water came from the Cenozoic Pecos Alluvium Aquifer.

Somehow that simple comment had others chiming in, including the Queen of Wink, whom Garth thought was being mean to him, which led him to be mean to the Queen, which then led to someone saying really mean things to the Queen and this morning has Elsie suggesting that King Durango has a nice ring to it.

It's all very perplexing.

Dead Snowmen, Broken Trees, A Yellow Wildflower & Today's Texas Tears

This is being a very blue Monday. In more ways than one.

Early this morning, soon after I came in from my morning icy dip, I found myself with tears running down my sweet cheeks.

No, I'd not gotten any sad news, nor was I crying due to my delicate feelers getting hurt.

The tears were falling because I'd diced up 8 onions to make onion soup. I have not seen so many tears come out of me since August of 2008 when I was driven to near breakdown mode by the sociopathic personality types I found myself dealing with.

After I had the onion soup in simmer mode I cleaned up the tracks of my tears and moved on to other stuff. Like getting messages from crazy people that I was somehow causing web browsers to go haywire and disconnect them from the Internet.

And then I heard from someone named Joseph Quackenbush. Now isn't that an interesting name? JQ, as he calls himself, had been to my webpage about the upcoming Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. I think JQ did not understand that all I did was webpage my take on my visit to the Roundup and that I killed nor ate no snakes.

JQ had this to say...

Killing and torturing those amazing animals proves you guys are the biggest douchebags on the planet! I have written several letters to senators and have joined groups that will eventually ban these public displays of brutality. You SUCK!!!!!
JQ

By late morning I was feeling quite cranky. I had to get out of here and do something salubrious and aerobic. So, I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. Those familiar with my wanderings may have figured out I went walking across Fosdic Lake Dam today, due to the picture at the top. As you can see, I was dressed for cold. Because it was cold. And very windy.

There was a lot of snow damage to the trees of Oakland Lake Park. You see a lot of tree damage when you are out and about driving.

There is still snow on the ground, but it is getting ever more less.

I saw signs that indicated some fun in the snow had been had on the hills of Oakland Lake Park. Makeshift sleds had been left behind. I saw big chunks of cardboard, a big chunk of plastic, 2 plastic garbage can lids and assorted other large pieces of litter that had been used as sleds.

So little snow falls in this zone of Texas that stores have no motivation to keep sleds in stock. In Washington, when a good snow falls, there is always a run on the sled supply, but most people have a sled or two ready for sliding. I did not bring my sleds with me to Texas. But for some reason I did bring my cross country skis.

The remains of many snowmen lay on the ground at Oakland Lake Park today. It looked like a snow battle had taken place, with snow corpses now in rapid decay mode.

Yes, it was sad seeing the remains of so many snowmen, but there was a bright sign of life to come, coloring up Oakland Lake Park today, that being the sunny yellow wildflower you see above.

What a sturdy wildflower, surviving the brutal temperatures and the brutal record breaking snowstorm and then popping out from under all that white to bloom a good hint of the coming spring.

February 20 Tandy Hills Brush Bash 2 & Trout Lily Walk

That is Olive the Prairie Dog frolicking on the Tandy Hills during our recent record breaking snow.

Olive's last name is Young, due to her paternal parental unit being Don Young.

Olive wanted Don Young to tell you that the Brush Bash 2 is still on for Saturday, February 20.

Also on the Tandy Hills, that Saturday, there will be a Trout Lily Walk with Master Naturalist, Jeff Quayle.

Brush Bash 2's start time is 10am. Ending at 3pm, with lunch sometime between those extremes. You will want to bring work gloves, water, a can-do spirit. And lunch.

If you need more info about the Tandy Hills Natural Area Brush Bash 2 you can email Don Young or call 817.731.2787.

There will be two Trout Lily Walks with Jeff Quayle

Jeff Quayle is a self taught botanist/naturalist specializing in plants of north central Texas for more than 25 years, including the eco-region's habitats of north central Texas. He'll discuss the life cycle of the Trout Lily, its habitats, requirements for producing blooms and the means of propagating itself.

Trout Lily Walk #1, like I already said, is the same Saturday as Brush Bash 2. You can Brush Bash for awhile and then take a break and do some Trout Lily Walking.

Trout Lily Walk #2 is scheduled for March 6.

Both Trout Lily Walks start at 10am and walk til 1pm.

Bring water, a camera and a notebook.

Contact Don Young for more info. Contact option above.

Happy Valentines Day From Texas To Anyone Who Likes Being Told Happy Valentines Day

Valentines Day, to me, is the most manufactured to sell stuff holiday of them all, created by the greeting card, flower selling and chocolate making industries.

Or maybe Valentines Day has a long, beautiful history that I've never taken the time to learn.

Anyway. I finally opened the mysterious envelope that the Queen of Wink sent me. On the outside of the envelope was a big, red, rubber Valentine type heart. I don't know how the mysterious envelope got through postal processing with that big, red rubber heart stuck to it.

Inside the mysterious envelope was a thick card. The front of the card is what you see in the picture. When I glanced at it I thought it was a big bug hitting a power line.

I was perplexed.

Then I opened the card to read "Looks like Cupid's going to be a little late this year." To which the Queen of Wink added "Happy Valentines Day. Don't know why this card reminded me of you, but it did!"

I continued to be perplexed.

Then I turned back to the cover and looked at the squished bug hitting the power line again.

That is when I noticed the little "PRESS HERE" sign on the power pole.

So, I pressed the "PRESS HERE" sign and all hell broke loose.

The bug lit up and started flashing. It was then I realized the bug was Cupid. As the electricity zapped Cupid, you could see his skeleton and he proceeded to get more and more upset as the zapping continued, eventually unleashing some un-Cupid like profane language. I think I heard the phrase "Oh Crap," which is really not something one thinks of as a Cupid-like thing to be saying.

This was absolutely the best Valentines Day card ever.