Freezing And Hiking In Texas

A week ago, today, I went hiking at the Tandy Hills. Then I was sidelined by rain and incoming Parental Units.

And now, a week after that last hike, I decided nothing was going to stop me today. Well, unless there was something like an ice storm. Today's misery was temps barely above freezing with the Wind Chill Factor making it feel like it was well below freezing.

So, I put on several layers and set off for Village Creek Natural Historical Area. I usually, erroneously, call this park Indian Village. Well, it used to be an Indian Village, which would be a more appropriate, historically accurate name. Or so it seems to me.

That would be me, hiking away from a little pond at Indian Village, in the picture above. It was in this pond, one day, years ago, that I saw my first Water Moccasins. Several of them. I have since greatly abated my aversion to snakes, but, at that point in time, it was a bone-chilling thing for me to see.

Just as I started to walk I got a call from Tootsie Tonasket. Her soap opera travails have grown worse. Yesterday she gave her husband an ultimatum, stop seeing his girl friend or never come home again. That's the short version. Tootsie's drunk son was ranting in the background. A couple days ago, in a drunken rage, the son told Tootsie he'd whack her head off with an ax. That same day the wandering husband wandered off, barefoot, with snow on the ground and no coat, heading to town.

I can only listen to very little of that insanity, then I have to excuse myself.

That ham I cooked this morning made a very tasty lunch, along with stir fried spinach I got at the Dallas Farmers Market. My Mom included a container of her patented Mustard Plaster, along with the ham. My relatives do not eat ham without Mustard Plaster.

Importing Ham From Arizona To Texas

My Mom & Dad brought me so much stuff from Arizona that I could open a small grocery store. I've got boxes of grapefruits, lemons, oranges. And jam. And a ham that is bigger than the last turkey I cooked.

I was barely able to fit the giant ham into my turkey cooking pan this morning. The ham is now in the oven, slowly getting warmed up, so it'll be fit for consumption in a few hours.

Between now and then, I'm planning on going on a hike somewhere. I've not done that since last Saturday. I took Sunday off, Monday it rained and Mom & Dad arrived, which put me in driving mode for aerobic exercise.

As soon as Mom & Dad left it got cold again. We got down to freezing last night. It is only 35 right now, with less than an hour to go before noon. And it is windy. With gusts to around 30, which makes the Wind Chill Factor making it feel like 30 out there.

When people don't have anything else to talk about they talk about the weather. So, I'll shut up. For now.

Mom & Dad Made It Out Of Texas

This morning, when I looked at my cell phone, I saw I had a couple voice mails. One was from my Mom. I think I must have been watching TV when they called and didn't hear the ring.

I think I mentioned, yesterday, that they were leaving Texas via Highway 180. That's a two-lane road in most places. Those are usually way more slow going than a freeway.

Yet, somehow Mom & Dad made it out of Texas, after leaving Fort Worth at about 11 in the morning, getting all the way to Carlsbad, New Mexico.

I was curious how far Carlsbad is from here. So, I used my Microsoft Streets & Trips program to find out they drove about 430 miles yesterday. I don't think they like to drive after dark. So, assuming it got dark around 6, they had 7 hours driving time. That works out to 61.428571 miles per hour. That number goes up each time they stopped for gas, a restroom break or a McDonald's.

I hope there were no speed limits broken in this mad dash effort to exit Texas!

I think today they are heading towards Bisbee and Tombstone in Arizona. I've been to both. Bisbee is a cool-looking former mining, now artsy type town, with this huge open hole in the center of town called the Lavender Pit. Tombstone, I was a bit disappointed in. They've not done a great job of historical preservation. The day I was in Tombstone happened to be Helldorado Days, which turned out to be a really raucous-filled deal with guns blasting and girls on floats in bikinis, which seemed totally incongruous.

I don't know if Mom & Dad are going to the Carlsbad Caverns. I suspect not. I don't know if they've been to them before. I have. It is a lot of walking. They don't like walking. I remember you walk quite a distance and then end up in this huge cavern space at the end of the tour, where there is a fast food type joint, if I remember right, and other amenities. When you are ready to get out of there, you get on an elevator that brings you back to the surface. I enjoyed Carlsbad Caverns, though it was so long ago my memory is a bit hazy.

Shocking Seattle (P-I) News

Even though I know it's been financially struggling for a long long time, even way back before I moved to Texas, it still surprised me today to read that the Hearst Corporation is giving the Seattle Post-Intelligencer 60 days to find a buyer.

Or else.

The hard copy version of Seattle's oldest paper will be no more. The online version will continue.

A few days ago I read, somewhere, that back in the early 1950s nearly every household in America subscribed to a daily newspaper. And, now, in 2009, only 20% of American households get a daily paper.

At my house, when growing up, we got the daily Skagit Valley Herald and the daily Bellingham Herald. And on Sunday's we got the Sunday Seattle P-I, which is where I learned to like the P-I, with the P-I eventually becoming my daily and the newspaper to which I compare others. Which explains why I was so constantly appalled by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which always seemed, to me, like a real small town paper, prone to mistakes and Chamber of Commerce type hyperbole that rubbed me the wrong way.

I know the drop in newspaper readership is being blamed on the new media, like cable news and the Internet. But neither is a substitute for a good locally produced newspaper.

Way back when I was in school, and already an avid newspaper reader, it seemed to me that one class a day should consist of reading a newspaper. And then discussing it. I can't think of anything a school could do that would have more meaningful educational value.

Instead, we are slowly becoming an ever larger population of people woefully ignorant about way too much. When the majority of Americans can't tell you when the American Civil War took place, that is scary. We are sliding down a slippery slope where soon the majority of Americans won't be able to tell you who is buried in Grant's Tomb. I fear we may already be at that point.

In Texas.

Mom & Dad Are Heading West Away From The Ol' South

I drove to Mom & Dad's temporary Arlington abode this morning before 9 to lead them out of Fort Worth, with a stop at the Ol' South Pancake House on the way out of town.

I didn't gain any weight during my month, last summer, in Tacoma. I think I've gained 10 pounds during the 5 days Mom & Dad were here.

This morning I had a big Greek Omelet with 3 big pancakes. It's been years since I've had a pancake.

My aerobic exercise, the past week, has been driving 100s of miles a day. And talking. In Tacoma, I think I burned a lot of calories due to the stress of verbal harassment, a lot of hiking and doing things, like walk 6 miles to escape dementia to return to relative sanity. With a McDonald's stop midway.

I did my chauffeuring in Mom & Dad's big new van. I don't think they liked the idea of being crammed into my little car. That's Mom & Dad standing in front of their big new van, with my little bitty car next to it and the Ol' South Pancake House behind them.

After we were done at the Ol' South Pancake House I led Mom & Dad back to the I-30 freeway and got them safely out of Fort Worth. They are not taking the freeway back to Phoenix. They are going to go the old-fashioned 2 lane route, via Highway 180, exiting I-20 about 20 miles west of Fort Worth.

The first town they'll come to is Weatherford. I told them about the food-poisoning bout I had after eating a burger in Weatherford. I doubt they'll be getting a Weatherford burger, due to it being too soon after breakfast, not due to the food-poisoning warning.

The next town they'll come to is Mineral Wells. So, I told them why there is a monster old building in that little town, that being the Baker Hotel. I knew it would perplex them as much as it did me when I first saw it.

It was fun having Mom & Dad here. I'd worried about what I'd find for them to do. That turned out to be no problem. Next time I will remember not to worry. They are returning in 2015.

Mom And Dad Do Dallas

Well, I had me another day with Mom and Dad. My day started sometime between 2 and 3 this morning. I picked up Mom and Dad a bit after 10.

Dallas was on the agenda for today. For the most part. Headed east on I-30, entered downtown Dallas via the infamous Triple Overpass. I was heading to the Dallas Farmers Market.

The Market was not very busy so we were able to park inside the shed. Mom seemed a bit worried that one is not supposed to do that.

The Parental Units got some blueberries and nuts. Then it was off to the Texas State Fairgrounds, known as Fair Park. I did not realize, til today, that you can drive all over the fairgrounds. I thought there were guard posts to stop that type activity. So, I was able to drive the entire fairgrounds. Pointing out where Big Tex stands, among other things, like driving right up to the Cotton Bowl. The entry to the actual football field was open. I could have driven down there. But, Mom would have had a panic attack. Anyway, Mom and Dad have now had a visit to the Texas State Fair. Sort of. Including the Carnival Midway.

I headed over to White Rock Lake en route to one of the World's Most Unique McDonald's. I drove them by White Rock Lake the last time they were here, but both were passed out that time. So, today they thought they'd never been there before.

After White Rock Lake I drove west on Mockingbird to the 75 Freeway to head north over the Big 5 Exchange to I-635. I'd not been over it since it was finished. I liked it. Dallas has made it much more colorful than Fort Worth has with its Mixmaster.

Exited 635 at Monforth. That's where the McDonald's is. Neither Mom or Dad remembered being there before. I have photo evidence to the contrary. They did a shadowy pose in front of the Giant Happy Meal, before going in and having some wraps, cheeseburgers, fries and hot fudge sundaes.

After McDonald's I headed south on Preston, back towards Downtown Dallas. This goes through some areas of big houses. Mom likes seeing those. Drove up Turtle Creek. That's scenic. Headed to the Victory Park development to show them the American Airlines Center and all the other stuff there.

Then it was on to I-35 E, to head north and get off at I-183, to drive by the soon to be defunct Texas Stadium, then on to Los Colinas in Irving. Around then I was informed a restroom break was needed. So, I headed back east on Northwest Highway to a Sam's Club. Some shopping for leftover Christmas bargains ensued.

Then it was back on the road, heading west on I-121, towards Grapevine. My eventual destination was Babes in Roanoke. I went via Flower Mound. I knew my Mom would find suddenly being out in the country to be interesting. We got to Babes. It didn't open for a half hour. So, I drove them by Cabelas and some other stuff and then back to Babes.

Babes Chicken Dinner House is always good. We got 2 orders of chicken and 2 orders of chicken-fried steak. This comes with salad, creamed corn, biscuits and mashed spuds and gravy. It's served family style with the chicken and chicken fried steaks on one big platter. And the other stuff in its own bowls. You can ask for more of all the fixin's, except for the meat products. I ate a lot of biscuits.

We had the usual incident with the Baby Rattler at Babes and all the waitresses did a long line dance routine. It was cute and amusing. Mom and Dad seemed to like it.

After Babes it was a long drive south on 377 to I-820, then a quick jaunt back to their temporary abode, then me back to mine.

Tomorrow I'm going to be at their place about 9 to escort them out of the Metroplex, stopping at the Old South Pancake House on the way. I'll take one more picture of them in their cowboy hats and then see them sail off into the west.

Phoenix, they are heading your way in the morning. They are taking the scenic route, not the Interstate method they used to get here earlier than expected.

Flooding State of Emergency in Washington

I knew that on Wednesday the Western Washington zone was getting hit by a big tropical storm which was bringing warm temperatures and a lot of wet stuff. These type storms melt the snowpack in the Cascades, causing flooding in the lowlands. Particulary when the lowlands are already saturated and are being hit with several inches of rain, while the mountains get about a foot of the wet stuff, which adds more water to the melting snow.

What is happening up there right now is record breaking, a flood of historic proportions, forcing the biggest evacuation in Washington history.

Tacoma has declared a state of emergency. The Puyallup River has gone over its banks. The Puyallup empties into Tacoma's Commencement Bay. Over 40,000 people have been asked to evacuate. That is the Puyallup River in the picture. Workers are trying to clear a log jam. A log jam and a flood can bring down a bridge.

Everyone living in the Orting Valley of the Puyallup was told to leave as the river continues to rise.

The flooding is going into populous areas and industrial zones where flooding has not occurred before. Tacoma's central wastewater treatment plant is in jeopardy.

Transportation is at a standstill in Western Washington. Interstate 5 is covered with water by Fife. Fife is a town just east of Tacoma. South of Olympia I-5 is also under water. All the mountain passes are closed, due to avalanches and mudslides.

Up in my old hometown zone, that being Mount Vernon and the Skagit Valley, mudslides have hit homes, dozens of roads are blocked by water or mudslides. From what I just read in the Skagit Valley Herald, it would appear I've got one friend trapped by water and slides. Are you homebound again, Nancy? Is it being as bad up there as it seems to be from what I'm reading?

Downtown Mount Vernon has narrowly escaped being buried in water, several times. I've been part of sandbagging brigades building a wall on the dike that protects downtown Mount Vernon. Last year a new flood wall system was installed to protect downtown. I don't believe it has been put to use, yet.

They are having the worst winter in memory up in my old home zone. While down here in Texas it will be another blue sky day, hitting a high of 72. 75 tomorrow.

Mom & Dad Won't Take Off Their Cowboy Hats

I had me another day with Mom and Dad today. I picked them up, this morning, before 11. We drove up 360 to the town of Grapevine, then by the Great Wolf Lodge, en route to the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. The Christmas decorations were still up at the Gaylord, so Mom and Dad got to see Santa on his power boat pulling his reindeer on skis.

Leaving the Gaylord we drove across Grapevine Dam to Rockledge Park for the first photo-op of the day. Mom and Dad have really taken to wearing their cowboy hats. I think it helps them feel like they are fitting in with the natives.

After Rockledge we drove to see Austin Ranch in daylight. That's where I'd gone to a Christmas party in early December. I had never seen it in daylight and did not realize it actually is a ranch, of sorts.

After Austin Ranch it was on to Costco for a light free sample lunch. Then to check out Southlake Town Center. Then it was time for a QT stop for liquids, like coffee.

Then up to Bob Jones Park, looking at overly large houses along the way, including a perplexing castle. After driving around the Bob Jones Park zone we headed south down White Chapel Road to a REALLY BIG HOUSE zone. Then on to the Grapevine Highway, heading to Penneys at the Northeast Mall.

After way too much shopping, it was then on to the Airport Freeway, heading to the Stockyards, to Riscky's BBQ for All You Can Eat BBQ Ribs.

I dropped Mom and Dad off in front of Riscky's,
parked and ran back to them. They thought it too cold to sit outside, so inside we went. Our waitress was Brittney. She forgot our BBQ sauce. Mom didn't like her ribs til I asked Brittney if we could have some Riscky's Sauce. I like the ribs without sauce.

I ate several jalapenos, which led to my Mom biting in to one. That did not go well. Apparently she felt they were quite hot. I just thought they were tasty.

We went several rounds of getting more ribs and then it was over. Riscky's has added bone buckets since my last visit. The bone bucket quickly filled up, as you can see on the left.

Leaving the Stockyards zone, I could see I-35 was gridlock, so I drove backroads to this weird part of Haltom City that has all these wrecking yards and junky looking stuff. Very Third Worldly. Entering that zone there was a big anti-union protest group. Mom thought it looked dangerous and that we shouldn't proceed. I laughed and told her it was harmless.

Eventually we exited the Third World and re-entered civilization at Gateway Park. I showed Mom and Dad Fort Woof. There were a lot of dogs running around.

We left Gateway Park and drove Randoll Mill across a very old, narrow bridge. Mom kept being appalled by how many times we crossed the Trinity River. She was concerned as to how these people could afford to build so many bridges to cross one river.

It was then time to get on the freeway and drive Mom and Dad back to their current home in Arlington.

Tomorrow we are going to Dallas, to the Farmers Market. And then to McDonald's. They remembered and liked going to the Dallas Farmers Market on their last visit, but neither remembers going to one of the world's most unique McDonald's, so annointed by both me and the Travel Channel. I'll probably throw in a few other things to see in Dallas too. Maybe we'll drive by George and Laura's new house.

At Riscky's today my Dad announced they will be returning in 2015. Their last visit was in October, 2001, then this visit in January 2009. So, I guess the next logical date, in the sequence, is 2015. I don't know what month, though. I'm getting older. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with them.

Israel, the Gaza Strip, Gas And My Mom & Dad

That's the view through my window at this very moment, at 10am, as I sit at the keyboard. It's a blue sky day in Texas.

I have absolutely nothing that is giving me an urge to be blogged about. Nothing.

I would blog about the current Israeli/Gaza Strip Middle East conflict. But it just makes me cranky. Israel shows great restraint for a ridiculous amount of time. And finally decides to do something about the incoming rockets. And then the world reacts. Where was the world's condemnation of Hamas during the month upon month of firing rockets into Israel?

And then you have those who deny that the Holocaust ever happened. And are now comparing Israel to the Nazis. It's like there is way too much insanity running way too rampant in the world.

I forgot about the sudden jump in gas prices. I don't know why it went up 20 cents over night. Did a couple of the Muslim nations cut us off of the black stuff?

I'm hoping it gets into the 70s by the time I take Mom and Dad to the Fort Worth Stockyards to go to Riscky's for BBQ Ribs, so we can sit at the outdoor patio.

My Mom wants to go to the Gulf Coast. I'm going to take them to Lake Grapevine today and try and convince them that it's saltwater. There are clams shells on the beach. And seagulls. The only thing missing is that telltale saltwater smell. And big waves.

Anyway, by the time I get back here, later today, I should have myself some blogging material.

Mom & Dad & The New Dallas Cowboy Stadium

Well, I have had me a day. I've been up since 4am. I left to get my Mom and Dad about 10 this morning. Traffic was backed way up on I-30, due to all the highway construction by Collins Street.

I got to my Mom and Dad about 11. Loaded them up and off we went. First off my Mom wanted to know where all the nearby fast food joints were. So, I showed them.

Then I drove them to the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium where they posed for me in their Cowboy hats. Then it was off to River Legacy Park. Then the Garden of Angels. Then the River Bottom Bar. By that point my Mom was getting hungry.

Mom asked if we had a Sweet Tomato restaurant. She wanted salad. I told her we were about 15 minutes from a Sweet Tomato. On the way there we passed my favorite Chinese buffet, that being the Super Bowl Buffet. For a minute or two it was debated if Mom wanted to go to the Super Bowl instead of Sweet Tomato.

We ended up at Sweet Tomato. It was my first time. It was good. Not as good as Fresh Choice used to be, but still good.

Mom kept being surprised by how big Arlington is, so after Sweet Tomato I decided to head south, down Matlock, til we escaped Arlington and the Metroplex.

That brought us to Hawaiian Falls in Mansfield. I then got on to 287 and headed towards downtown Fort Worth. Mom and Dad had a little sleep bout about that time.

I showed them some of the new stuff in downtown Fort Worth, like the now defunct Radio Shack Headquarters, soon to be Tarrant County Community College. I showed them the buildings that grew out of the tornado damage from 2000. The last time they were in Texas was soon after the tornado ripped through downtown Fort Worth.

I drove them through the cool new former Montgomery Wards, which has morphed into Montgomery Place. We drove through the "tunnel" and went to Super Target for some extensive shopping that included buying a bag of oranges. That perplexed me. They had given me about a half ton of citrus the day before.

After Super Target I drove them around the "Cultural District" showing them the new Museum of Modern Art, the Kimball Museum, the Amon Carter, the Cowgirl Museum, the Stock Show grounds and then on to the Botanic Garden.

After that I drove them down the very odd brick road known as Camp Bowie Boulevard. Mom wanted to go to a QT for a fountain drink. So, I turned off Camp Bowie, on to 183, and headed north. Right away there was a QT. That turned bizarre when some lady tried to work a scam on us.

Continuing north on 183 we went through River Oaks and then on to NE 28th Street til we got to the Stockyards zone. Drove through the Stockyards, showed them the Prison Break set. Continued on to Samuels Avenue to show them "Old Fort Worth" and all the development that will look down on the new "Town Lake." If it ever gets built.

Then back to the heart of downtown. Showed them the Sleeping Panther statue. And the new Omni Hotel. Mom and Dad both, even Mom, with her bad eyesight, thought those balconies were very disturbing.

I showed them the failed Sante Fe Rail Market that was supposed to be like Pike Place Market. They found that amusing. Then we got on Lancaster and headed under the Mixmaster, got on I-30, then off at Beach Street.

I drove down Scott Avenue and showed Mom and Dad the Mother Nature Shrine that weeps at the damage Chesapeake Energy has done to the Tandy Hills. Showed them the Tandy Hills. Then it was on to Oakland Park and then back on the freeway to deliver Mom and Dad back to their Studio Plus Apartment in Arlington.

Tomorrow I'm picking them up around the same time and taking them north to the Lake Grapevine zone. Lunch of free samples at Costco. Then back to Fort Worth and the Stockyards for All You Can Eat BBQ Ribs at Riscky's.