The 16th May Day Morning With Air Pollution Alerts, Alligators & Questions About Olive The Missing Prairie Dog

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on this  16th May Day morning it was dark enough to set off the camera's flash, but the sun was up enough to see that this 3rd Wednesday of May is, so far, a totally clear blue sky day in North Texas.

A clear blue sky currently chilled to 63 degrees, heading to a high of 87, with the weather warners warning that the pollution in the air warrants and "Air Quality Alert."

At this point in time the quality of the air is not so bad that I have shut my windows.

This morning I had an email from one of my favorite Southern Belles, asking me if Olive the Missing Prairie Dog was "without a leash or collar?"

I know Olive was not wearing her collar when she went missing. Without a collar, I suspect no leash.

I hope the Olive the Missing Prairie Dog search team put one of her missing posters on the fence at Fort Woof in Gateway Park, a location that attracts a lot of dog lovers.

Changing the subject to something less lovable.

Trinity River Alligator Corpse

Yesterday Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I'd seen a disturbing gator picture on the WFAA's Facebook page. I had not.

Apparently the murder of an 11-foot 3-inch alligator is being investigated by the authorities who investigate such things.

The alligator was found by game wardens in the Trinity River at a location between Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth.

The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is between Eagle Mountain Lake and Fort Worth. There are signs in the Nature Center warning visitors to be cautious about alligators.

I know there have been many reports of alligators in Lake Worth. How do the gators get past Lake Worth Dam to get into the lake? On their trip upriver do the gators get out of the river when they come to the dam and walk around it? I've hiked in that location. It'd take a lot of effort, I would think, for a gator to get around that dam.

With this latest alligator incident I am really going to have to re-consider Elsie Hotpepper and me floating in the upcoming Rockin' the River With Alligators Happy Hour.

I Found A Terrier Today On The Tandy Hills But It Was Not Olive The Prairie Dog

This Is Not Olive The Prairie Dog

Today I was back on the Tandy Hills, looking for Olive the Prairie Dog, now missing for over 48 hours.

Until today Olive was the only terrier type dog I've seen on the Tandy Hills.

What are the astronomical chances that a terrier would run up to me today whilst I'm looking for a missing terrier?

I'd guess slim to none. But that is what happened.

But, it was not Olive.

I take it as a good omen type sign that I was visited by a terrier on the Tandy Hills today.

I also heard from my poodle nephews, Blue and Max, up in Tacoma, the caretakers of my nephews, David & Ryan and niece, Ruby, voicing their hope for the swift return of Olive...

Blue and Max have left a new comment on your post "Olive The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is Still Missing": 

We hope you find Olive real soon! 

I can imagine the brouhaha that would erupt in Tacoma if either Blue or Max went missing. Or if any of my sister in Kent's canine children, Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog, went missing.

The Humans Who Were With Today's Tandy Terrier

The investment in time and medical expenses spent on those canine children is incredible. Just Rosie the Rat Dog alone has had hip surgery, braces to fix her snaggletooth and is on several prescription medications.

Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog get to go on rather long roadtrips. Currently they are planning a 3 month excursion north via the Alaskan Highway, I think all the way to Nome.

I have not yet agreed to Bean, Tilly and Rosie the Rat Dog's request that I head north to housesit for them while they are in Alaska.

Olive The Mascot Of The Tandy Hills Is Still Missing

The news that the mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Prairie Dog, has gone missing, is spreading.

Pegasus News, a website about news and entertainment in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone, is reporting the story of Olive the Missing Prairie Dog, in an article titled Canine mascot of Tandy Hills Natural Area is missing.

In the Pegasus News article, Don Young says Olive has never run off before and that, "she's extremely well cared for here, and I'm afraid that someone saw her and took her because she's so cute and so friendly. She seems, to us, like she's almost human. She has something in her eyes that you don't see in other dogs."


Olive was last seen Sunday morning, May 13 at 11:00 am, near her home on View Street across from Tandy Hills. Olive is a small, black, 20 pound mixed-terrier. She has a distinctive underbite and is very friendly, especially to children. She has a microchip ID implant but was not wearing a collar and had been recently bathed. There were many people visiting Tandy Hills on Sunday. Someone may have taken her.

If you see Olive or hear anything about her whereabouts please call Don & Debora Young at 817-731-2787.

I have not checked on FW Weekly to see if they are helping get the word out for their readers to be on the lookout for the missing Mascot of the Tandy Hills.

Olive the Prairie Dog gone missing is the local equivalent of Lassie or Rin Tin Tin or the Obama's Bo going missing.

The 15th Day Of May With Olive The Prairie Dog Still Missing

Looking at the outer world, via my greenish-blue primary viewing portal, on the morning of May Day 15, it appears that this is the start of yet one more clear blue sky day in North Texas.

A morning currently chilled to only 30 degrees above freezing. The temperature predictors are predicting that eventually the air will get 22 degrees warmer than its current 62,

Olive the Prairie Dog is still missing. I heard from Don Young, last night, that they are missing Olive real bad.

I think I will go back to the Tandy Hills today and do some more Olive hunting.

But, before I do that, I think I will go swimming before it gets any hotter.

Searching The Tandy Hills For Olive The Prairie Dog With A Blimp Overhead

Tandy Hills Lost Sunglasses Ridge

A blimp was overhead when I arrived on top of Mount Tandy today. I do not know if the blimp was helping with the doghunt for the missing Olive the Prairie Dog, or not.

I do not think the Tandy Hills suffered much, if any, deluging from Friday's downpours. The trails were dry, no mud. The creeks were dry, no water. Not a drop was flowing over Tandy Falls.

Due to the hills being totally easily accessed, without gaining height elevation due to sticky mud, I was able to search all over the hills for the missing Olive.

I know that a dognapping is the prime suspect as the reason for Olive's disappearance. But that seems so unlikely to me. What sort of monster would snatch a little dog that clearly belonged to someone?

Years ago, in Mount Vernon, before she moved to Texas, my cat, Hortense, disappeared. Hortense was a very well behaved cat with very predictable habits. She had a large outdoor safe area to play in. And then she went missing.

Click Picture To Find The Blimp

I put up signs around the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen Hortense. I talked to all my neighbors. Then, after 4 days of being missing, there was a familiar noise at the door. It was Hortense wanting to be let in. My next door neighbor had opened a shed and out popped Hortense. She must have been snooping and got trapped inside.

I wonder if Olive might have wandered in to some similar situation.

I'm guessing signs are being posted around the Tandy Hills neighborhood asking if anyone has seen Olive. A parent may see one of those signs and realize where that cute dog came from that the kids brought home on Sunday.

I'm optimistic Olive will be returned home.

Have You Seen Olive The Missing Prairie Dog?

Last night Elsie Hotpepper emailed me asking if I knew Olive was missing? I replied, asking if she was talking about Olive the Prairie Dog. This morning Elsie replied in the affirmative.

But, by this morning I already knew it was Olive the Prairie Dog that had gone missing, having read the news on Facebook with the following message....

HELP us find Olive. Small black mixed breed with distinct underbite. Missing since 11 am Sunday. Last seen on View Street near Tandy Hills Park. No collar. Call 817-731-2787 if you find her. We fear she was snatched.

I last saw Olive at Prairie Fest x3 Part 1. At that point in time Olive was with one of the humans she takes care of, Debra Young.

Was Olive having fun playing in the open prairie across View Street from her abode and got caught up chasing a road runner or a bobcat? Did she then get lost somewhere on the Tandy Hills? Likely not, but I think I'll go to the Tandy Hills today and look for a missing Olive.

The Dawn Of The 2nd Monday Of May With Incoming Shipment From Captain Hans In Afghanistan

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell it appears the 2nd Monday of May is another clear blue sky morning in North Texas.

Currently the outer world is chilled to 60 degrees, heading to a supposed high 20 degrees warmer.

Changing the subject from the temperature to something else.

I got an interesting variant of the Nigerian email scam this morning...

Hello,

I am Cpt. James Hans an officer of the U.S Army, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division Peace keeping force in Kabul, Afghanistan. We are currently in Afghanistan and I have some important items that I need to ship to you.

I need you to reply only if you are interested.I will explain further when I get a response from you. Please reply to my email jhans5819@gmail.com.

Cpt. James Hans

I'm guessing "Cpt." means Captain. I wonder what Captain Hans wants to ship to me? And why they are important?

I think I will go swimming now and ponder these important questions.

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.

Walking With The Village Creek Indian Ghosts Calling My Mom & Thinking About Washington Park In Anacortes

I had myself a fine walk with the Native American Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historical Area today, along with a lot of other people, many of whom seemed to be in celebrate Happy Mother's Day mode.

Including a family group of all females, with one pushing, what must have been mom and grandma, in a wheelchair.

I called my mom whilst sitting at a picnic table overlooking the Village Creek Blue Bayou. I got the answering machine and left a Happy Mother's Day message.

That phone call took place a few feet to the south of where you are looking at in the picture. That vertical log rising from the ground was the remains of what appeared to be a tree, possibly struck by lightning. I am no forensic lightning strike investigator, but that is what it looked like to me.

Speaking of wheelchairs, I heard from a mother, Betty Jo Bouvier, this morning. For Mother's Day Betty Jo's kids were taking her to Washington Park in Anacortes to walk the loop. Betty Jo agreed to this if she got wheeled around the loop in a wheelchair.

For non-Washingtonians reading this, Washington Park is on a peninsula on Fidalgo Island, at the west end of the town of Anacortes. It is a very hilly park, with steep cliffs, tall evergreen trees and a lot of saltwater views. Miles of hiking trails take you all over this park. There is a big campground and a lot of picnic locations. And a paved road, the loop, that takes you to a high point where you get a panoramic view of north Puget Sound. And on a clear day you might see Mount Rainier, way to the south.

Where I lived in Washington, in Mount Vernon, it was about 20 miles to the east of Washington Park. I frequently drove there to hike and jog, back when gas was well under $1 a gallon. Ferry boats, and other boats, coming and going, pass by you as you sit on the Washington Park beaches.

One time I was enjoying the view and suddenly the surface of the water started acting odd. A submarine came to the surface. That was unsettling. The Trident Submarine Bangor Base is further south on Puget Sound, on another peninsula, named Kitsap. Trident Submarines are disturbingly large.

At my current location there is nothing like Washington Park within 100s of miles. No matter which direction I look I will see no mountains, or saltwater, or tall evergreen trees. And there is no chance a submarine will startle me coming to the surface at any body of water at my current location. An alligator or water moccasin, yes, submarine, no.

Below is a YouTube video that gives you an idea of what Washington Park is like. And why I get homesick, when I see images of my old home zone, at my current beautiful scenery challenged location......

Happy Mother's Day To All The World's Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. Mother's Day is May Day 13, the second Sunday of the 5th month of 2012.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the outer world I see a bright blue sky. But no matter what direction I look I see no mothers.

My own mother is about 1000 miles to the west. I must remember to make a non-gas related call to my mom today.

Yesterday we had an election here in North Texas. I did not vote. I was not aware of anything I needed to vote for. Or against.

The only local race I am even remotely curious about is whether or not Glen Bucy got elected Constable. There was no mention of who won or lost any Constable races this morning in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that I was able to find in the election coverage.

The Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy had a bizarre focus on the Glen Bucy Constable race that did not make much sense to me. I don't know what function a Constable performs. I know you don't have to be a cop to be one.

I think it is time for me to go swimming before it gets any later or hotter.