Snow Is In The Forecast for North Texas

Thursday night the current forecast is for a 20 percent chance of snow after midnight.

Why is Texas so far behind so much of the rest of the world?

As in, when is that Global Warming thing going to hit this part of the planet?

When I moved here I left Washington in heavy rain, I arrived in Fort Worth in heavy rain. About a week after arrival in Texas I got my first lesson in how cold it can get here.

About noon we had gone to the Fort Worth Stockyards for Mexican buffet at the now long gone Riscky Rita's Mexican Cantina. Heading out to Rita's the temperature was pleasant, no need for a coat. After an hour and a half, or so, in Rita's, we stepped outside to discover the temperature had dropped to near freezing, with a hard wind making it feel below freezing.

That night the temperatures dropped to 15, or thereabouts. We did not know what to do about the pipes, the pool plumbing or the 2 cows that had been left behind by the previous owner. By the next morning I was to experience my first Ice Storm. I'd never seen an Ice Storm before. I'd heard of them, but I had no idea they were such a bad thing.

That first bout of Texas icy winter lasted several days. And then it bounced back into the 70s and 80s. My first few winters in Texas that seemed to be the pattern. A few days of cold, then back in shorts again.

But the past several winters in Texas have not followed that pattern. Which one would think would not be the case if there really was some Global Warming going on.

I guess I better get my cross country skis out in case there is some slick white stuff to go sliding on Friday morning. It's highly unlikely, but it's good to be prepared for all contingencies.

Beer & Pretzels At North Central Texas Communities Alliance Meeting Today In Fort Worth

A new organization is forming in Fort Worth to address gas drilling issues in the Barnett Shale region of north Texas.

The group will hold a press conference regarding the Carter Avenue pipeline issue and a public meeting Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at the Hotel Trinity Inn Suites. (SW corner of Beach & I-30 in Fort Worth)

There will be presentations by DISH Mayor Calvin Tillman, Deborah Rogers and others. (see details below)

After the meeting, Texas State Representative, Lon Burnam is hosting a beer and pretzel mixer in the Elvis Room of the hotel.

Speaking of Texas House District 90 Representative Lon Burnam, below is his message about today's event, plus 2 other events occurring this week....

Gas drilling has become a sensitive issue for many residents in Fort Worth and across North Texas. The safety of our communities is at stake. Since early last year, I have been at the forefront of this issue to protect the health and property of citizens in Fort Worth.

The struggle to keep Chesapeake from extending a pipeline through Carter Avenue and other communities like it is reaching the tipping point. Now that TXDOT has approved a proposed a pipeline route North of I-30 and away from community residences, victory is in sight.

You can express your concerns about the gas drilling and pipeline issues at any of these three events:

Beer and Pretzels Mixer following a Community Sponsored Forum at 6pm

When: Tuesday December 1, 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Where: The Elvis Room, Hotel Trinity Inn and Suites (I-30 and Beach Street)

A Public Meeting Sponsored by Sen. Davis, Rep. Burnam, and Councilwoman Hicks

When: Wednesday December 2, 6:30pm
Where: Meadowbrook Elemenatry School (4330 Meadowbrook Dr.)

Join me for Coffee and Pan Dulce as I File for Re-Election

When: Thursday December 3, 8:30am - 9:00am
Where: Tarrant County Democratic Party (3004 W. Lancaster Ave.)

On Tuesday, December 1st, not only can you enjoy beer and pretzels while showing support for the folks on Carter Avenue, you can also learn how to organize your neighborhood by becoming a Democratic Precinct Chair. Applications and a notary will be on hand to sign you up. Join Elvis and me in his suite. Don’t miss my first public appearance with the King!

See you there,

Representative Lon Burnam
Texas House District 90

East Fort Worth Wal-Mart Taken Over By Birds

I think a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds may be being filmed down at my local neighborhood Wal-Mart Supercenter.

As I drove towards Wal-Mart I made note of a large glowing object in the late in the day sky. I wondered if this could possibly be the "Special Star" I blogged about earlier today, that is supposed to herald the second coming of Buddha, known as Maitreya.

As I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot it did look like something supernatural was happening. I have never seen so many birds in one location. I am talking thousands of birds.

Birds in the air, in trees, lining the roof of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. Birds on cars, one huge group of maybe 1000 standing on an open spot til spooked, causing a mad chain reaction. After the mad chain reaction the birds re-roost til re-stirred.

People were running into Wal-Mart like they were in The Birds, hands over head for protection.

The birds made a cacophony of noise that added to the surreal scene. Why do these birds hang out at a busy with humans and cars zone? Why not go to a nearby park like Village Creek Natural Historic Area?

I must turn on CNN now and see if Maitreya is having that promised televised news conference to announce his coming to America along with his bright star.

And, apparently huge herds of birds.

Green Slime & No Boats On Fosdic Lake In Fort Worth

I wish I had the napping ability. Somehow that gene didn't make it into my DNA. I've been up since 5, straining my brain, swimming in frigid water at 7, then more brain straining.

Then around noon I needed some upright activity out of a computer chair and away from monitors.

So, I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. I'd not been to this location in awhile. The tree leaves were being a bit colorful today, as you can see.

But, the leaves were not the only thing that was being colorful at Fosdic Lake today.

As you walk around Fosdic Lake you see several signs advising against eating fish you catch in the lake. And forbidding boating and swimming.

Now, swimming I can understand. First off Fosdic Lake is home to a lot of turtles. I had a turtle attempt to kill me once while swimming in Lake Grapevine. It was the last time I swam with turtles. They are very territorial. And they travel in packs.

But why ban boats on Fosdic Lake?

I have a kayak that would be fun to take out on Fosdic Lake, it being the body of water closest to where I live, other than the Trinity River, which I would be not want to kayak in.

Today as I was crossing the bridge that goes over Fosdic Lake's dam spillway, I saw what may be the reason one might not want to put ones boat in Fosdic Lake.

On both sides of the spillway there is what can only be described as neon green slime. It looks the color of anti-freeze, but intensified.

You can see where the green has stained a rock or two. What chemical is this green stuff? One can't help but wonder.

Is it corrosive? Would it eat at your skin and the structure of your boat? How do the fish, birds and turtles survive and seem to thrive in this chemical stew? Do they build up an immunity?

With Fort Worth closing the city pools, wouldn't it be a nice thing to de-pollute Fosdic Lake and make a swimming beach? Fort Worth could really use a clean lake with a nice beach. Fosdic Lake is one block off the bus line on Oakland Boulevard.

When Fort Worth's Parks & Recreation Director, Richard Zavala, finally got his way and all Fort Worth pools but one where shut down, he told the city council that Fort Worth kids had "other options." When asked what those options were this nincompoop said "Hurricane Harbor."

Hurricane Harbor is in Arlington. It costs about $30 to get in. And there is no mass transit available to take Fort Worth kids to Arlington if they did have $30.

Is Zavala one of the geniuses behind the attempt to dye the Trinity River Purple? Maybe he should check out Fosdic Lake and see what a good job is being done there of dying Fosdic Lake neon green.

A Major Planetary Event Is Now Unfolding In Dallas

For several weeks I've been noticing an ad on the back cover of Fort Worth Weekly.

The ad says...

---

A MAJOR PLANETARY EVENT IS NOW UNFOLDING!

A mysterious star is being seen worldwide, captured on hundreds of YouTube videos, photographs and some local news reports.

wakeupdallas.org

---

That is the mysterious star over Tokyo in the picture.

I was curious what this fresh nonsense was all about. So I went to the wakeupdallas.org website to see if I could see what Dallas needed to wake up about.

Well. Apparently this Buddhist guy named Maitreya, who is the second coming of the original Buddha, has arrived on the planet. Maitreya has been showing up for awhile now. Supposedly in 1988 CNN and others reported that Maitreya had appeared before 6,000 people in Nairobi, Kenya.

Then on December 12, 2008 something called Share International announced that in the very near future a large, bright star will appear in the sky throughout the world, night and day. That star has now been seen by people in Norway, South Africa, America, Dubai and Qatar.

That star seems to be quite selective about who it appears to. It must be a stealth star, it's done such a good job of not being well-known.

The star's appearance signals the beginning of Maitreya's mission.

The wakeupdallas.org website says in one spot that the star has appeared in the U.S., but the last paragraph says that soon after the star appears in our skies that Maitreya will show up and give his first media interview on American TV. I've not seen any TV interviews with Buddha's second coming. I would think this would be big news.

I wonder if the same people who are seeing this star saw Purple in the Trinity River on Friday?

Carter Avenue American Flags Mysteriously Removed

I am getting reports from Carter Avenue observers telling me that the American Flags that had been placed along Carter Avenue to celebrate the victory over Chesapeake Energy's nefarious plan to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under the homes on Carter Avenue, have been removed.

Removed by whom remains a mystery. The bulk of the flags were on the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. Is that not city property?

Did the city send in a crew to clean out the flags? It would not be the first time this week that the city of Fort Worth wasted city money on something funny.

Well, whoever took down the flags didn't change anything. All those flags were was a symbol for a group of Americans banding together and sticking up for themselves, defending and protecting their homes and property and children. And winning.

That famous, iconic American flag no longer waves on top of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. That victory was won and remains won, just like the victory on Carter Avenue.

Japanese Imperialism is a very apt metaphor for Chesapeake Energy and their ilk. Running roughshod over people's rights, but in the end, defeated by the stronger, more righteous American spirit. You can't take that away as easily as you can take away flags.

I Left Texas & Went Back To Washington For A Few Minutes Today Courtesy Of Krogers

In Texas the smell that will forever say Texas to me is the smoke from a BBQ. In Washington the smell that forever says Washington to me is the scent that fills the air from Evergreen trees.

Today I went to my neighborhood Kroger. That is a grocery store for you who don't know Kroger. For you in the Northwest, Kroger is what bought Fred Meyer, to noticeable bad results, near as I can tell during my Fred Meyer visits whilst up north.

As I walked into Kroger today I was instantly transported back to Washington. I was slapped with an extreme Evergreen tree assault. I just stood there taking it in. Best thing I've smelled in Texas since I don't know when.

I figured the Christmas trees must be from Texas. I believe Christmas trees are grown out in the Piney Woods Region of Texas.

So, I was a bit surprised when I looked at the yellow tags on the trees to see that they were "ANOTHER "GEM" FROM THE EMERALD FOREST" from a Christmas Tree Company called EMERALD, based in Bellevue, Washington.

So, I really was transported back to Washington. Those were Washington Evergreens making Krogers smell real good today.

When I lived in Washington I did not notice the Evergreen smell as being so prevalent. I'd notice it if I was up in the mountains hiking, or sometimes when outside in my yard or slacking on the hammock on my roof deck.

But, in 2001 I drove back to Washington, solo, for my mom and dad's 50th Anniversary. As I crossed over the summit of Snoqualmie Pass I started noticing that the air was somehow seeming heavy and I started to be almost startled by how strongly the air smelled of Christmas trees.

Smelling Christmas trees constantly kept happening til I got re-acclimated by about week 3 and no longer noticed the smell. When I fly to Seattle I've never had the Christmas tree thing hit me in the same way it did driving over the mountain pass. I can be sitting in my sister's back yard or hiking some place, like Point Defiance Park, and it will smell like Christmas. But never again in that overwhelming way it did in 2001.

I think maybe the fact that that return in 2001 was the longest I'd been away, sort of made everything seem more vivid. I remember in addition to smelling Christmas trees I was struck by how shiny, clean and new everything looked as I drove west through Issaquah and Bellevue. I remember getting stuck in a traffic jam on the I-90 floating bridge and loving it. Mount Rainier was hovering big to the south, Lake Washington was sparkling, dozens of sailboats, everything looked, I don't know, as if Mother Nature had given it a good scrubbing til it sparkled.

Anyway, it was nice to have a brief visit back to Washington today, if only for a couple minutes.

We Are Fixin' To Rain Hard In Fort Worth & Make Macaroni & Cheese

You are looking out my rain covered windshield, heading west on John T. White Road, in far east Fort Worth, coming up on 1 in the afternoon.

I aborted any planned walk soon after leaving here around noon, due to drips starting to fall. I headed to Krogers to find cheese for whole wheat macaroni and cheese that I had a hankerin' to make.

To you Yankees reading this, hankerin' is Texan for "wanting" or "craving" something.

I knew we were in for some predicted rain, but I thought its arrival was not til later in the day, along with a drop in temperatures. Yesterday it got in the 70s, was 65 at midnight and 64 when I managed to have a semi-pleasant swim this morning. It is 53 out there right now, so our predicted temperature drop has arrived.

It is downpouring out there now. I grow concerned for my favorite Haltom City corespondent and the killer creeks she monitors whenever they go into potential flash flood mode.

Krogers was my first stop on my cheese hunt, that ended at Wal-Mart. I saw, well, actually smelled, and saw, something at Krogers which made me sort of homesick. I'll tell you about that later. Right now I'm fixin' to satisfy my hankerin' for macaroni and cheese.

To be clear, fixin' is Texas speak meaning you are about to do something. If you damn Yankees would make more of an effort to learn the language us Texans wouldn't find you so annoying.

A Confederacy Of Fort Worth Dunces Keeps Seeing Imaginary Purple Rivers

This morning a couple things brought the phrase "Confederacy of Dunces" to mind. Great book, by the way.

The infallible sign of genius quote is one of Jonathon Swift's better known epigraphs.

The first thing this morning that brought a Confederacy of Dunces to mind was a comment made to yesterday's blogging about the Star-Telegram's confused description of the attempt to dye the Trinity River purple.

The commenter, the ubiquitous Anonymous, apparently drank the purple Kool-Aid and saw the magic water 19 hours after the Star-Telegram report said the water (that had been turned ever so slightly purple, through their reporter's, apparently, lavender-colored glasses) had returned to its usual muddy brown.

Below is what Anonymous had to say....

I was there on Saturday early around 7 am when they were pumping and it was purple I commend their effort and spirit!

The attempt to turn the Trinity River purple occurred at 10am Friday morning. Not Saturday. And there was no purple and no pumping.

Anonymous commends their imaginary effort and spirit???? I've seen some effort and spirit displays in my time on the planet. What I saw Friday morning was a pretty lame effort that resulted in rather subdued spirits.

Moving on to the other thing that brought a Confederacy of Dunces to mind this morning.

It is a YouTube video of Americans being interviewed while waiting to see Sarah Palin at one of her book signing events for her Going Rogue best seller, that apparently goes quite wildly rogue with a lot of erroneous bits of information.

We've all run in to people like you'll see in the video. People who say some ridiculous thing where you instantly realize they have not the slightest clue about what they are talking about. So, you ask a follow up question and they either get upset because once more they've been caught in the "stupid" trap. Or they get that deer in the headlights look and admit they don't know anything about what they'd just made a strident comment about.

I really think a test similar to the citizenship test given to new Americans should be passed before an American is given their license to vote. When you have a Confederacy of Dunces voting you end up with results like Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief, re-elected in a 70% landslide of 6% of Fort Worth's eligible voters.....

Getting Sane From Crazy Water From A Famous Mineral Water Company In Mineral Wells Texas

During the decade since I quit being a Yankee and started being a Texan I've seen some crazy things. One of the craziest I found my first year here while roaming around the countryside that surrounds the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.

I headed towards a town called Mineral Wells, because I wanted to check out Mineral Wells State Park. I had heard good things. I was not disappointed. Penitentiary Hollow, in the state park, was particularly a good thing.

After climbing around Penitentiary Hollow I headed into the town of Mineral Wells. A few minutes later I was to see a giant structure come in to view. It was huge. Seemed totally out of place for a little town.

Soon I found myself walking all around what I learned was the long abandoned, rumored to be haunted, Baker Hotel.

On a subsequent visit, after having learned the Baker Hotel's impressive history, I was let inside the ground floor. Much had been removed, but signs of opulence remained.

The Baker Hotel came into existence due to the item that gives the town its name. Mineral Wells. People came from all over for the mineral waters of Mineral Wells. So many people claimed to have so many ailments cured by the waters, at times there would be thousands of people in town, taking the cure.

Some took to calling the mineral water "Crazy Water" due to the consumption of said water being thought to have cured a crazy lady of her craziness.

By the late 1950s, or maybe early 1960s, the FDA came down hard on the selling of Crazy Water and its cure claims. And then it was found that the water had lithium in it. Lithium is used by the medical profession as one of the drugs to help control the behavior of, well, crazy people.

I believe for a time, due to the lithium content, the FDA would not allow the sale of Crazy Water.

But, I found out yesterday you can still get Crazy Water (with lithium) from Mineral Wells. Thanks to my new information source, Twitter, I learned from "lovecrazywater" that Famous Mineral Water Company is bottling and selling Crazy Water.

You can haul your own container to Mineral Wells and get it filled with Crazy Water. Or order a 12 pack from the Famous Mineral Water Company online store. Or, I think, they deliver. I assume within a limited area. Just looked, the website says "Water Delivery to Home or Office."

I've no idea how that works. Delivering to home and office, I mean. Maybe it's home and offices in the D/FW zone. Or maybe just Mineral Wells.

I'm thinking there are plenty of crazy offices that might benefit from having Crazy Water calming the more difficult cubicle dwellers.

I'd head to Mineral Wells tomorrow to get me some Crazy Water. Lord knows I need it. But I don't know if they are open on Sunday.