Interlochen Christmas Lights in Arlington Texas

I'd not been on my bike in a long time. It had a flat that I had trouble getting around to fixing, til this morning, when I came in from swimming and needed something to warm me up.

About noon I went to Village Creek Natural Historical Area to do some pedaling. The paved trail leaves the park after about a mile. You are then in what is called Interlochen. That's an Arlington neighborhood that is famous in these parts for its over the top Christmas Lights.

A couple years ago an Interlochenite was asked by D/FW Airport to tone down their lights due to distracting pilots. To those who have not seen Interlochen that likely sounds ridiculous. How could lights be that bright? Well, like I said, Interlochen is over the top.

Police have to direct traffic. It is very controlled. You can go in only one direction. One lane is kept open for residents. I probably shouldn't say this, but for those of us who live in the area, it's easy to know how to sneak in and avoid the 2 hour or more wait to get to the lights.

Interlochen is so-named, I think, because "lochen" is some language's word for canals. There are several canals in Interlochen. You can take a boat to visit the neighbors. The canals are all lit up as well as the front yards.

Today I got off the paved trail and pedaled some of the Interlochen streets. Christmas decorations have an entirely different look when the power is off and the sun is up. Most people go all traditional, manger scenes, reindeer, snowmen.

I saw a couple of somewhat original displays today. One had Santa kneeling over what I assume was Baby Jesus in a crib.

My favorite was a Pedro's Trailer Park themed display. At least that was my take on it. Santa was sitting in front of his brightly painted trailer, surrounded by palm trees, lots of lights and a big herd of big pink flamingos.

If it wasn't such a major deal to go to Interlochen at night, I'd go back to see Santa and the Trailer all lit up. The last time I went to see the Interlochen Lights was a couple Christmases ago with Miss Puerto Rico. We had libations on board. It was very festive.

CLICK HERE FOR MAPS & DIRECTIONS
TO THE INTERLOCHEN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Kill The Cockroach Part IV: Cockroach Hall Of Fame

I've not seen a Cockroach in several days. I sort of miss the little buggers. I learned yesterday that I'm not the only person in Texas with a perverse fondness for Cockroaches.

There is a guy in Plano, Texas named Michael "Cockroach Dundee" Bohdan. He is a pest control specialist with a store called The Pest Shop.

In The Pest Shop Mr. Bohdan has opened the Cockroach Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame features dead Cockroaches dressed as celebrities and historical figures. There is David Letteroach, Liberoachi and something called the Combates Motel which is
somehow based on the Bates Motel in Psycho. The Combates Motel is a little roach-sized house with the Cockroach holding a little-bitty dagger.

The Liberoachi display is the most elaborate with the dead bug sitting at a little piano decorated with a little candelabra. Liberoachi is wearing a big white cape.

The bugs aren't all dead at the Cockroach Hall of Fame. There are live Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. They are about 4 inches long and an inch thick. If you pick one up it hisses at you.

There is a snack shop in the Cockroach Hall of Fame with only one item available, that being "Larvets Original Worm Snacks" in yummy BBQ, Cheddar Cheese and Taco flavors. Tasty.

The Cockroach Hall of Fame is open Monday through Friday from 12:15pm til 5pm. And on Saturday from 12pm til 3pm. The location is 2231-B West 15th Street in Plano, Texas.

Fort Worth Space Shuttles, Swimming, Hiking & Zorro's Buffet

I did not see the Space Shuttle Endeavor fly over me when I was in the pool this morning. I was not in the pool very long. I got up real early, as in before 4, I was down at the pool a bit past 7. I don't know when in the morning the Shuttle lifted off from Fort Worth.

It is supposed to get in the 70s this weekend, followed by an Arctic Blast coming in on Monday that might bring snow with it.

I went hiking at the Tandy Hills around noon. And then on to Zorro's Buffet. It's Mexican Food Day on Thursday. Zorro's has added some new Mexican food since my last Thursday visit. There were tamales, chipolte chicken, chicken mole, BBQ pork ribs and all sorts of other good stuff I'm not remembering right now due to a cerebral bloodflow problem.

The chicken mole looked like chicken covered with thick chocolate. I had to ask what mole meant. I was told it's like BBQ. It was messy, but tasty.

Every other time at Zorro's the nearby gas station has a new record low. But not today. The Tandy Hills Gas Station remains the lowest I've seen, at $1.44. Zorro's gas was $1.48.

But on the way back here I saw a Fina station at $1.43. Trouble was this Fina station appeared to have been closed for years. I don't know if it was ironic or funny that this long closed station's long ago prices are now back what we're paying today. Just a couple months ago I would have seen that sign and thought, those were the days, we'll never see them again.

The World Championship Rattlesnake Races in San Patricio, Texas

On the second weekend of March, Sweetwater, Texas holds its annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. Sweetwater is out in West Texas, west of Abilene.

About the same time, way down in the South Texas Gulf zone, near Corpus Christi, Historic Old San Patricio holds the World Championship Rattlesnake Races.

An eighteen wheeler driver from Alice, named Larry Belcher, had a string of winning the World Championship 3 years in a row with his pet rattlesnake, Sleepy.

You can bring your own snake to the races or use one provided by a local snake hunter. It costs $20 to enter a snake race. There are several heats, with the winner of each heat getting a plaque. The World Champion finals take place Sunday with the winner getting the coveted World Champion Rattlesnake Race Trophy.

To get the rattlesnakes to slither, 5 foot long plastic tubes, called "go-getters," are used to tap the ground, causing a vibration that gets the snakes moving.

Daily admission to the races is $5. There are other things to do besides watching snakes slither. There is a carnival, arts and crafts booths, food, live music, exhibitions, rattlesnake handling and lots of cold beer.

I can't decide whether to go to the Races or the Roundup this year. I've got a 3 months to decide.

Space Shuttle Lands In Fort Worth

Yesterday at 3:10pm the Space Shuttle Endeavor landed at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base here in Fort Worth.

The Space Shuttle is on its way back to Cape Canaveral after bad weather at the Cape brought about a November 30 touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Before its overnight stay in Fort Worth the Space Shuttle and the modified 747 it piggybacks landed at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss in El Paso.

Miss Puerto Rico's brother, Tito, is stationed at Fort Bliss. Tito safely returned from Iraq in November.

The Space Shuttle is scheduled, weather permitting, to lift off from Fort Worth at sunrise. Maybe I'll see it flying overhead this morning when I go swimming.

On a related note. By far the coolest thing I've seen in all the time I've been in Texas was a Space Shuttle passing overheard. It was a nighttime landing. I did not know what to expect. We'd been told to look low on the horizon to the west. Suddenly this huge fireball came into view. I'd never seen anything like it. It passed very quickly, leaving a strange afterglow in the sky. When the glow faded we ran back inside and watched the landing in Cape Canaveral.

Spilled Natural Gas Drilling Mud Kills 3 While Wise County Pipeline Explodes

Today's Don Young Report covers several issues. One being Tuesday's pipeline explosion in Wise County. Another being the transportation of drilling mud in Johnson County having caused three deaths.

Before I get to Don Young's message to the powers that be. And you. I'm going to give you 3 links.

You can watch video of the Wise County pipeline rupture here.

Click the above link, then click, "Click here to watch video footage," then hit the play button.

You can read a report of the Wise County pipeline rupture in the Wise County Register here.

You can read a report of drilling mud deadly accidents here.

And now Don Young's message to the powers that be. And you.

Dear Mayor, Council-members and staff-

In addition to Tuesday's pipeline rupture in Wise County, there is also a story from Johnson County that may interest you.

These two reports add to the steady stream of accidents involving gas drilling activities in and around Fort Worth. Hopefully, they will remind you that when you allow such dangerous activity there will be consequences. The only question is when and where and who pays to clean it up.

They should also remind you of your duty to put public safety far above your own self interests or threats from industry representatives and their lawyers. When in doubt, it's usually a good idea to err on the side of public safety and always go above and beyond state and federal standards.

PS: Does the current city budget include funds to clean up toxic drilling mud and other fluids spilled on public streets by anonymous drilling companies? What about hazmat crews to clean up the mud and also, NORM-laced drill pipes that may fall from trucks onto public right of ways? Finally, do FW firefighters and gas well inspectors now carry Geiger counters and hazmat suits in their trucks? How much does that cost?

Sincerely-
Don Young
FWCanDo
P.O. Box 470041
Fort Worth, TX 76147

The View From Miss Puerto Rico's Balcony and My Mom & Dad

This has been one cold day in Texas. I feel like I'm up in Tacoma in summer. It's only 42 at 4:30pm. Blue sky returned today. That was nice. Even if it was a cold blue sky. That photo on the left is the view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony yesterday around noon.

The other photo is the same view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony today around noon. I don't know which photo looks chillier.

My Mom and Dad are heading to Texas on January 2. I was informed of this by my Mom on Sunday. She called with a convoluted plot for me to fly to Phoenix to spend Christmas and then ride back here with them. There are too many things wrong with that concept to detail here.

My Mom also told me not to plan anything that involved walking. That is not a lot different from when they were here 7 years ago. I remember dropping them off at Dealey Plaza while I found a parking place. The only place I remember fast walking was when I took them to one of the World's Most Unique McDonald's.

They were here 8 days their last visit. I don't know how long they plan to stay this time. I've no idea what to do with them. Maybe ride the train to Dallas and then ride the DART train. That would take up one day. Gaylord Texan and the Southlake Town Center has been built since their last visit. That might take up one day.

Maybe there'll be a Grand Opening where my Mom can shove her way to get free samples. The last time they were here they saw on the local news that Central Market was having its Grand Opening the next day. So, we went to that.

They'll likely want to do the Stockyards again. They enjoyed the Stockyards. Everyone enjoys the Stockyards. The only thing that's changed at the Stockyards, as far as I can remember, is the addition of The Love Shack. Maybe I'll take them there. The Dirty Love Burger won some sort of best burger in the world or nation type award. Mom and Dad like burgers. Mom used to work at one of my brother-in-law's McDonald's. She was known as McDonald's best biscuit baker.

I could try and think of a list of chores for Mom and Dad to do. But I don't have any chores that need doing. When my Mom and Dad and I were at my baby sister's in Tacoma, last summer, you would not believe the list of chores we all had to do. We were told we had to perform these tasks to pay for our room and board. I think a motel would have been a more restful option.

I don't know why Mom and Dad want to come here in the dead of winter. The last time it was October and a bit HOT at times. This time we could easily have an Ice Storm. Or worse.

When we were all in Tacoma, with us Sun Belters well adjusted to our Sun Belt Heat, Mom and Dad were the only people in Tacoma who could empathize with how miserably cold it was. The others were quite insensitive about our misery. But, then again, I have to say, after my little sister tired of watching me shiver, she bought me a real nice coat. I wore it today. Today was the first day it's gotten Tacoma Cold in Texas.

Well, whatever happens, it'll be interesting. I'll be documenting Mom and Dad's likely last visit to Texas via photos, video and this Blog. What fun I'll have...

Extreme Makeover Home Edition In Fort Worth

Ty Pennington and the rest of the Extreme Makeover Home Edition crew is in Fort Worth building a family a new house, starting today, up in my old neighborhood in far north Fort Worth.

You can read all about this important event
on my Durango TV Blog.

Kill The Cockroach Part III

I've gone three days without a Cockroach sighting. I don't know if it is too soon to declare Mission Accomplished. The Cockroach Army may be re-grouping, planning a new line of attack in some other location in this place.

I don't know if it was the Las Vegas Roach Trap that did the trick. Or was it my aggressive 'Surge' where I purposely, frequently, turned on the kitchen lights at night to the point where the Cockroach Army no longer felt they had free reign to run all over my cooking zone.

I only saw 2 Cockroach Corpses in the Las Vegas Roach Trap. Two big ones. Smaller ones may not have been visible in the coffee/water brew.

If the Cockroaches attack again, I think I'll call in the professionals.

Below Freezing Today in Texas

Yesterday morning my swimming pool had warmed up a lot from the day before, due to it getting into the 70s during the day and the middle 50s at night. So, yesterday I managed to swim for quite a long time.

A cold front blew in all day yesterday and long into the night. Very windy. Power was knocked out for some Texans. By midnight the temperature was 33. By this morning, when I went down to the pool, it was 26.

So, it's obvious the water would be colder than the day previous. However, with the air being so cold, the water felt warmer than the air. A lot warmer. It was easy to get in the water and swim. I think I lasted about 3 or 4 minutes, when the chill started to penetrate too deep. It took a couple minutes for the hot tub to feel hot.

This swimming when the water is cold thing has taught me a lesson. As in don't ever not do something just because you've got it in your head that you can't. You never know if you can or can't until you try.