Pushing Through Snow Drifts To Go Swimming On The First Day Of Spring In Texas

You're looking at the view of my pool, out the weight room window, with bushes covered with snow, on the first day of Spring in Texas.

If I remember correctly, last year, on the first day of Spring, the water in the pool was already a pleasant temperature and I already had a suntan. Those type Texas days are gone, now that the state, apparently, has decided to re-locate in the Arctic.

When the sun finally got around to lighting up the place, this morning, there was more snow to be seen than I'd expected. Due to the high wind, most areas, like around the pool, were swept clean of the cold stuff.

It is 33 out there right now, coming up on 10am. It was colder than that when I went out, pool-bound, about 8.

In the still photo, extracted from video, you can't tell I was reacting with a bit of a shiver when getting in the water. In the video version I verbalize my reaction to the cold saying something like, wow that's cold.

After I took the video picture I retreated to the Hot Tub to warm up. After that was accomplished I jumped back in the ice, from the deep end, and hurried to the shallow end.

If it weren't for adding an additional 40 pounds of insulative adipose tissue I don't think I'd be able to enjoy these cold morning water experiences. Does a morbidly obese person feel the cold at all? I can't help but wonder.

Still no word from any of the missing persons.

And on a totally unrelated note, the movie star Sandra Bullock is married to a guy named Jesse James. Apparently Jesse was a bad boy and has been in the news lately. Years ago there was another bad boy named Jesse James. Long ago I made a webpage about Jesse James and his imaginary connection to Granbury, Texas, titled "The Truth about Jesse James." Due to people looking for information about the modern day Jesse James bad boy, my webpage about the other Jesse James has gone through the roof, hit wise, due to people Googling for the truth about Jesse James.

Snow Falls On North Texas On The Last Day Of Winter & First Day Of Spring

That is the first day of Spring, 6 in the morning, view from my patio balcony. Note the white stuff on the balcony railing. Apparently the heavy wind kept the snow from sticking to tree limbs.

Yes. It snowed here in formerly non-Arctic Texas, just as the National Weather Service predicted, with the white stuff falling both on the last day of Winter and the first day of Spring.

The flakes began descending yesterday around 5. Because it was so windy, flakes were not making straight vertical descents. Yesterday's flake were minimalist in volume and widely varied in size. By the time the sun turned out its light for the night, no snow had accumulated, at least in my limited view.

When the sun arrives for the first day of Spring, and I'm able to more accurately assess conditions on the ground, I may decide to make my way to the pool and photo document swimming in the snow on the first day of Spring. It is a bit treacherous, with these conditions, to make it to the pool, due to a large pond of water that accumulated yesterday and may be frozen this morning.

On to a totally non-snow related subject. The number of people who have gone missing continues to grow.

Steve Doeung has been missing since Wednesday.

I believe the Queen of Wink has returned from her visit with Shamu or Namu or their descendants, but the Queen seems to be incommunicado, except for one cryptic message.

The Scrabble Queen of Washington has disappeared. She was being the temporary Scrabble Queen of Florida, doing her Scrabbling from a Gulf of Mexico beach location on the Florida panhandle.

Elsie Hotpepper was going to investigate some of these missing person cases, but now Elsie Hotpepper seems to have gone missing.

It is all very perplexing.

Snow In Fort Worth Forecast For First Day Of Spring While Daffodils Bloom & Nerd Gang Battles In Veterans Park

Today is the last day of Winter, despite what you may have read in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Tomorrow, Sunday, is the first day of Spring. And, as you can see, snow is in our forecast, here in Fort Worth, for the first day of Spring.

I got gas today. My one longtime reader may remember that when I get gas I call my mom in Phoenix. So, I called and told my mom about our latest incoming blizzard. Mom thinks it is time I move back to a mild climate, as in, return to the Northwest.

I called my mom from Veterans Park, in Arlington.

Veterans Park reminded me of the Northwest today. I'm not referencing the cold wind and gray sky.

It was all the daffodils that reminded me of where I lived in the Northwest, that being in the Skagit Valley, which is one of the world's top flower bulb producing areas.

In March and April, sometimes earlier, the Skagit Valley turns into a blaze of color, with fields of tulips, daffodils, flags, irises and I forget what else, coloring up the place.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival lasts for a month while the bulbs are blooming, drawing in an incredible number of flower gawking tourists. I believe this is being all messed up, up there, this year, due to the record breaking warm Winter.

Also at Veterans Park, today, I saw a Gang of Nerds enjoying a gang fight with what looked like baseball bats. The Gang of Nerds was battling when I arrived and still battling when I left, about 45 minutes later. The high wind had the Wind Chill Factor having it feel somewhere in the 19-20 zone.

Maybe Nerds are impervious to cold. I know I am. I'll have to ask Gar the Texan if he is impervious to cold.

Speaking of cold, I went in the pool this morning. It'd gotten into the 70s yesterday, so the pool was significantly warmer than the air. I did two laps.

When I left Veterans Park I went to that new ALDI German grocery store again. The aforementioned Gar the Texan asked if you had to stick a quarter in a slot to get a grocery cart. I told Gar that I just started pushing a cart, with no quarter impedence.

Well, I don't know how I managed to get that cart my first time at ALDI, but this time a quarter had to be entered into a slot in order to free a cart. Somehow this keeps the carts all lined up and nice and orderly. It's the most German type thing I've noticed in this store. If you don't have a quarter, and really, how many people walk around with a lot of change in their pockets, an ALDI guy while free a cart for you.

Video Of Elsie Hotpepper & The Fort Worth Herd In The Love Shack At The Fort Worth Stockyards

A week ago today I went to the Fort Worth Stockyards to meet up with Elsie Hotpepper, the White Knight, Robin and Fort Worth's Lone Ranger, at the Love Shack.

I shot some video that day and yesterday I finally remembered to turn it into a YouTube video.

In the video you'll get a very brief glimpse of Elsie Hotpepper and the White Knight, with the Fort Worth Stock Yards sign overhead as we leave the Love Shack.

Speaking of the Love Shack. Have I made mention of how disappointed I was in the Love Shack? I'd read all sorts of positive stuff regarding the Love Shack hamburgers, both the Dirty Love Burger and the less dirty Love Burger.

Elsie and I had the less dirty Love Burger. It came with fries and a drink. I had the lemonade option. Elsie had the bottle of Coke option. I had been previously non-plussed over a supposedly really good local hamburger, that being the burger you get at Kincaid's. I found the Kincaid's burger to be nothing special at all. The Love Burger was, maybe, marginally better than the Kincaid's burger.

Elsie was of the same opinion as me regarding the Love Burger.

I remarked that I was expecting the Love Burger to be something really good, like an In & Out Burger. The White Knight is an In & Out fan and knew what I was talking about. The White Knight said that In & Out was planning to enter the D/FW market before the economy tanked. If that happens the locals will be getting their first taste of a really good burger. But, I have been told that Fred's Cafe makes an In & Out worthy burger, which I have not tried.

In addition to the Love Burger being a disappointment, the fries arrived cold. The Love Shack fries are ultra-skinny slivers of spud, hence not a lot of mass to retain heat, I guess. And they were very greasy, as in shining with grease.

Maybe it was an off day at the Love Shack. It was being really busy, as in there was a line waiting to get in. Maybe Tim Love is out of town and his Love Shack cooks were being a bit slack. I don't think I'm willing to try it again to see if last Saturday was an off day.

Neither is Elsie Hotpepper. Yesterday she told me she was taking me out for a burger, but not to any place with "Shack" in the name.

Watch the below video to see Elsie and a lot of cows....

Snow In Texas On The Last Day Of Winter

That is the radar look at the storm that is currently hovering above me.

In the article about today's bad weather, in this Saturday morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it said that today was the start of Spring. I may be wrong, but I'm not wrong as often as that newspaper is wrong, but I believe today is the last day of Winter, with tomorrow, Sunday, March 21, being the first day of Spring.

Rain started hitting my bedroom window during the middle of the night. It continues. The forecast is for the temperature to drop throughout the day, getting into the freezing zone, with the wet stuff possibly turning into wet frozen stuff.

As in snow in Texas on the last day of Winter, or, according to the Star-Telegram calendar, the first day of Spring.

Below is the National Weather Service Winter Weather Advisory (please make note of the fact that the National Weather Service also believes this to be a Winter day).

Tarrant-Dallas-Including The Cities Of, Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas 4:19 AM CDT Sat Mar 20 2010

Winter Weather Advisory In Effect From 6 PM This Evening To 7 AM CDT Sunday.

The National Weather Service In Fort Worth Has Issued A Winter Weather Advisory For Snow, Which Is In Effect From 6 PM This Evening To 7 AM CDT Sunday.

A Powerful Upper Level Storm System Will Move Across The Region And Result In Widespread Precipitation Across The Area. Rain Is Expected To Become Mixed With Or Change To All Snow This Evening. Snowfall Accumulations In The Advisory Area Are Expected To Average 1/2 Inch On Elevated And Grassy Surfaces, But Northern Dallas County Could See Amounts Up To I Inch. In Addition To The Snow, Strong Winds Of 20 To 25 Mph Tonight May Result In Periods Of Blowing Snow And Reduced Visibilities.

A Winter Weather Advisory Means That Periods Of Winter Precipitation May Cause Travel Difficulties. Be Prepared For Slippery Roads And Plan On Some Travel Delays.

Elsie Hotpepper On The Hunt For Missing Steve Doeung While My Therapist Orders Me Tandy Hills Hiking Due To Incoming Possible Snow

My Physical Therapist, Dr. L.C., had gone missing, just like Carter Avenue's Lone Ranger, Steve Doeung, but Dr. L.C., unlike Steve, showed up this morning, concerned that I had been up since a bit past 4 this morning.

I chose not to go swimming this morning. I don't remember why now. Dr. L.C. told me that there is a chance we might get some snow tomorrow, with the predicted low being 31.

Snow 2/3rds through March? In Texas? Will this Winter nightmare ever end? Well, there is the official end in a couple days with the arrival, cold arrival, of Spring.

With the incoming cold with precipitation in frozen or melted form, Dr. L.C. told me I needed to overly aerobicize myself today. And so I did.

The Tandy Hills was dried out enough to be hiked without getting stuck in the mud. The Tandy River was running higher than I've previously seen it. Fording the rapids of the Tandy River, at the location you see in the picture, was slightly treacherous, but doable, thanks to strategically placed boulders.

Elsie Hotpepper is investigating the disappearance of Steve Doeung. So far, no report from Elsie. The Queen of Wink is also incommunicado, she took an entourage to San Antonio to see Orcas, aka, Killer Whales. The Queen of Wink returns from whale hunting tomorrow. Maybe she will be able to locate the missing Lone Ranger.

Kay Granger's Weather Radio Solution To Texas Flash Flood Deaths

You can become a Facebook Fan of Fort Worth's Loopy Congresswoman, Kay Granger. If you become a Fan you can read Congresswoman Granger's Loopy Notes.

Yesterday I blogged about Kay Granger and how she is very concerned with fixing a flooding problem that does not exist, while not concerning herself with a flooding problem that does exist.

Well, my #1 researcher, Elsie Hotpepper, discovered in Kay Granger's Facebook Notes a note where Ms. Granger verbalized her deep concern regarding the Haltom City flooding problem that I said she does not concern herself with. Granger even mentioned the devastating death of Alexandria Collins caused by a Haltom City Fossil Creek flash flood.

That Haltom City flash flood happened without warning. There had been little rain in Haltom City. But, north of Haltom City, in the town of Keller area, 5 inches of the wet stuff had fallen in a very short time, overwhelming the inadequate drainage system and sending a wall of water death towards Haltom City.

So, what does Fort Worth's loopy Congresswoman propose as a fix? Mandating that weather radios be installed in new trailers. I'm not making this up, you can read all about this loopy woman's loopy nonsensical nonsense, including saying, "About 100 mobile homes were impacted by the storms because there was not enough time for residents to know what was happening and to prepare for the coming disaster."

Oh, yes, of course, those weather radios would have told those people in their Haltom City trailers that it was raining hard in Keller and this is sending a disaster your way, so, get yourself to higher ground.

You can read all of Congresswoman Kay Granger's loopy Facebook Note below...

In 2007 flooding led to the deaths of 11 people in Haltom City. Yesterday, the House passed my legislation that will ensure tragedies like this will be prevented in the future. Please read my statement I submitted for the record:

Madam Speaker, as the House considers H.R. 320, “CJ’s Home Protection Act,” I encourage my colleagues to support its passage. As a cosponsor of this bill, I believe it is important to reflect back on why this legislation is crucial to saving lives in our communities.

In June 2007, devastating storms, tornadoes and flooding hit my district over a few days’ time and left large amounts of property damaged and displaced thousands of families. Tragically, the flooding also took the lives 11 individuals and injured others.

At Skyline Mobile Home Estates in Haltom City, I met with Haltom City Mayor Bill Lanford after the floods to see the damage and to also meet with local residents. About 100 mobile homes were impacted by the storms because there was not enough time for residents to know what was happening and to prepare for the coming disaster.

One of the most devastating impacts to this community was the death of 4-year-old Alexandria Collins. She was torn from her mother’s grasp by the water’s current as they fled to a neighbor’s boat.

CJ’s Home Protection bill requires that NOAA weather radios be installed in new mobile homes as they are being manufactured in order for residents to receive emergency broadcasting information and alerts. This bill will help save lives during emergency situations by providing people with the time and the information they need to take care of themselves and their families.

Thank you, and I urge the House to pass this legislation.

The Skagit Belle And The Texas And Washington Linda Borrisons

Big Ed in Texas knows a Big Girl named Linda Borrison. Linda Borrison is on Big Ed's Facebook Friend list.

Meanwhile, up in Washington, I used to know another Big Girl, also named Linda Borrison. There has been a time or two when Big Ed has mentioned something about Linda Borrison and it confusing me, due to me thinking it was the Washington Linda Borrison being referenced.

Also up in Washington is one of my all time favorite people. For anonymity's sake I will refer to her as The Skagit Belle.

Well, the Skagit Belle was at Big Ed's Facebook page, at least I am assuming this is how this happened, anyway, the Skagit Belle saw a picture of the Texas Linda Borrison, and with the Skagit Belle knowing that the Washington Linda Borrison had quadrupled in size, or more, since the last time the Skagit Belle has seen Linda Borrison in person, the Skagit Belle assumed the Texas Linda Borrison was the Washington one.

What is sort of scary is they actually do look sort of alike.

So, the Skagit Belle emailed me yesterday, saying, "Oh...my...gawd!!! I just saw Linda Borrison's profile pic..."

The Skagit Belle went on to say more, but I'll leave that to your imagination. I wonder how many others have seen the Texas Linda Borrison on Big Ed's Facebook Friend list and assumed it was the Washington one they were looking at?

Chesapeakegate Scandal: Carter Avenue's Steve Doeung Has Gone Missing

No one has heard from Steve Doeung since Wednesday.

On that day Steve asked me to go to the Belly of the Beast, with him, to file an appeal to the order of condemnation taking his property rights, signed by the dishonorable Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle on March 9.

I was unable to go to the courthouse with Steve on Wednesday.

Phone calls to Steve's number ring without answer.

With so much being so wrong in this Malice in Blunderland Eminent Domain Abuse Capital of the World, I don't think one can err when considering the most outrageous of possibilities.

In other words, did the Fort Worth Gestapo take Steve Doeung into custody? The Fort Worth Gestapo has staged 3 or 4 bogus raids on Steve's home, which were basically terrorist acts designed to intimidate Steve into kowtowing to the Chesapeake thugs and their Fort Worth lackeys.

The Gestapo Raids did not have their intended effect and instead resulted in more bad publicity for Fort Worth, in much the same manner as the Rainbow Lounge Fort Worth Gestapo Raid, which the city's Propaganda Minister initially totally mischaracterized, not realizing that journalists and responsible adults were among the victims of the Stormtroopers.

Within days of the Rainbow Lounge Gestapo Raid, after National and World-wide outrage was expressed, the City of Fort Worth's officials had to do some backpedaling and start, somewhat, speaking the truth.

So, what has happened to Steve Doeung? Why has he gone silent? Where is he?

When you live under what is basically a lawless, fascist regime, you really can not assume anything but the worst.

Finding Treasure At Arlington's Veterans Park & Food At Pantego's New ALDI

It is past 4 in the afternoon. I have been up for about 12 hours. Exhaustion continues to be my constant companion. Along with woeful sorrow and misery.

It took way too long, this morning, for the sun to show up so I could try and re-vitalize myself with ice water aversion therapy.

While I was waiting for the sun to show up I had fun complaining about Kay Granger. That's an interesting name. Sounds like she should be the head moll for a gang, The Granger Gang. I guess she sort of is, the Head Moll of the Granger Gang, I mean.

My therapist, Dr. L.C., has not been insisting I aerobicize myself lately. I don't know why. I am not good at self-direction and need to be told what to do. But, without direction I directed myself to Arlington, to Veterans Park and had myself a real good walk. Way too many rugrats are out of school on Spring Break and making way too much noise.

I understand the Fort Worth Zoo had a record breaking number of rugrats show up on Wednesday. Rugrats heading to Six Flags Over Texas, in Arlington, is also causing traffic jams.

I had a bit of extreme fortuitousness happen while walking around Veterans Park. I came upon a treasure of pennies laying on the ground. 17 of them, just laying there, ripe for the picking.
This is by far my biggest one day haul of finding loose change while out walking. That's the pennies on the ground in the picture at the top.

After I was done hunting for money I went to the Grand Opening of the ALDI Food Market in Pantego. ALDI is a German owned grocery type store that is opening 11 stores in the D/FW zone. ALDI was very busy, its parking lot full, the store packed. ALDI's store model seems to be Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market with few brand names, fewer products, good quality at a lower price. With those prices being noticeably lower from what I saw.

ALDI appeared to be being run by grownups, like being in COSTCO, or Sprouts Farmers Market or any West Coast grocery store.

And ALDI runs with German efficiency. You supply your own bags, or buy an ALDI bag for a dime. You get your first bag free. The ALDI bags are huge with handles. The checkout person sits in a swivel chair. I'd not seen that in a grocery store before. As the items are scanned they go back in your grocery cart. You then roll your grocery cart to the bagging station. It all seemed to work quite well and real fast.

It was a bit of human gridlock today at ALDI's. That's to be expected on the first day a new store is open.

It was not quite as bad as the day Central Market opened in Fort Worth. My mom and dad were here at the time, October of 2001. They saw the grand opening mentioned on the TV news and asked if we could go. My mom loves grand openings. So, we went. There was a line to get in. My mom said she didn't want to wait in a line, that we'd go in the back way. And so we did.

It is from my mom I get my scofflaw, don't follow the rules, way of being.