My First Tandy Hills Reptilian Encounter Of The Snake Sort

It was winter when I first discovered the Tandy Hills trails. The cold time of the year. As in too cold for reptiles to slither about.

That following Spring, as the air began to warm up, I began to be concerned about possible rattlesnake, copperhead and cottonmouth encounters.

I had already had snake encounters at River Legacy Park, Cedar Hills State Park, various locations around Lake Grapevine and Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

Tandy Hills seemed to be just as wild as the other places I'd shared space with a snake.

So, I emailed Don Young and asked about the Tandy Hills snake status. DY told me that the only snake he'd seen was in the beak, I think, of a hawk. I felt re-assured.

I have now hiked on the Tandy Hills for years, doesn't matter if it is 110 or 20, I do my hiking. And in all that time I never saw a snake.

Until today.

I'm talking about that green monster you see in the picture above. It'd taken up residence on the newly plowed Tandy Highway.

This seemed to be a rather passive, friendly snake. It helped that it was colored such a nice, non-aggressive shade of green. It did not seem to mind that I got fairly close to it to take pictures. This activated no slithering. However, an hour later, when I passed that way again, the snake was gone.

Maybe it'd become hawk food.

With School Almost Out For Summer It Is Time For Texas Oklahoma Tourist Attractions

It is almost that time of year in Texas when school is out for the summer.

Six Flags Over Texas, in Arlington, is already in school is out for summer mode, open daily.

I can tell when summer nears, and vacation time arrives, due to a sudden increase in visits to my various webpages that have to do with Texas and Oklahoma tourist attractions.

Texas does not allow gambling, of the big casino sort, that all the states bordering Texas allow. In the past couple weeks about a third of my webpage hits have been from people looking for information about Oklahoma Casinos. I have not been up to WinStar World Casino Resort, right across the border on I-35, since it became the 5th biggest casino in the world.

Just north of WinStar World Casino, a few miles, you'll come to Turner Falls Park. Turner Falls is in the scenic Arbuckle Mountains, just a few miles west of I-35. At Turner Falls Park you'll find, in addition to the biggest waterfall in Oklahoma, the extremely crystal clear water of Honey Creek, caves, castles, trails and other good stuff.

Between Turner Falls Park and WinStar World Casino, south of Ardmore and just a little east of I-35, you'll find Lake Murray State Park, one of the oldest, if not the oldest, in Oklahoma. Going further east you'll find Beavers Bend State Park and north from there you'll come to Grand Lake o' the Cherokee.

Enough of Oklahoma, let's head back to Texas. But not before we drive one of the best preserved stretches of the most famous road in America, Route 66.

In the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone there are some good summertime tourist attractions in addition to tired theme parks. I like Fair Park in Dallas. It's like a sophisticated theme park. And now you can get to it via the DART train. Also in Dallas you'll find the Dallas Farmers Market. This is the closest thing I've seen in Texas to Seattle's Pike Place Market. You won't find anything like Dealey Plaza in Seattle, or anywhere else in the world. The 6th Floor Museum is excellent.

In Fort Worth, though some of the locals seem embarrassed by it, my favorite tourist attraction is the Fort Worth Stockyards. My visitors from the Pacific Northwest may all be unsophisticated hicks, but the Stockyards is usually the place I take them that they like best of anything in the entire D/FW Metroplex. In Fort Worth you'll also find the Fort Worth Nature Center Preserve. This is one of the biggest urban parks in the world. You'll find a prairie dog town here. And buffalo. And a bayou. And maybe an alligator. To my way of thinking, it is borderline criminal that the city started charging an admission fee to this park. It should be a city amenity available to all, paid for the way other large urban areas pay for their civic amenities.

A short drive from the D/FW Metroplex, heading southwest, you'll come to 2 of my favorite places I've been to in Texas. One is Dinosaur Valley State Park. Great hiking and mountain biking. In addition to dinosaur tracks. Just a bit south of Dinosaur Valley you come to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Without a doubt, the most fun I've had in Texas.

Down south in the Houston area my favorite places are Galveston, largely recovered from Hurricane Ike, and Galveston's Moody Gardens. A short distance west of Houston you'll find the Kemah Boardwalk. Also largely recovered from hurricane damage.

Austin is west and a bit north of Houston. There is a lot to see and do in Austin. The thing I enjoyed most, in Austin, was the LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus. Hippie Hollow was also refreshing.

South of Austin, before you get to San Antonio, you'll come to New Braunfels. This is where the world's top rated waterpark, The Schlitterbahn, is located.

Austin is in what is known as Hill Country. Also in Hill Country you'll find Fredericksburg. This is sort of a German theme town. Nearby you'll find LBJ's ranch on the Pedernales River and the LBJ Historical Area. North of Fredericksburg, a few miles, you come to my favorite thing I have climbed since I have been in Texas, Enchanted Rock. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area can get so busy the park shuts down at times.

So, there you go, some of my favorite Texas and Oklahoma Tourist Attractions. I think it is going to be a Long, Hot Summer. So, get your Texas Touristing done before the sun goes into heavy duty bake mode.

Juicy Blink West Texas Milk Murder

Some names in this sad story have been changed.

A few days ago I learned of a brutal murder way out in West Texas in the town of Blink.

On New Year's Day, 2010, longtime Blink resident, Granny, was given a pair of baby cats, also known as kittens. One of the kittens was white, the other amber-colored.

So, Granny named the kittens Milk & Honey.

Milk looked to some like a little Polar Bear. During his short time in Blink, Milk became quite well known, with Blinkers dropping by just to get a look at the little white Polar Bear Cat.

Also in Granny's menagerie is a Pit Bull named Juicy. Juicy is a girl Pit Bull. Milk often played with Juicy in Granny's backyard. Sometimes Honey would join in. But Honey was shy compared to Milk.

On Monday of this week, Milk was in the backyard playing with Juicy, when Juicy brutally attacked the Polar Bear Kitty. Killing him.

Honey went into shock.

Granny's keeper, Foely, covered up the murder, telling Granny that Milk had run away to join the circus.

There was some talk of bringing Juicy to justice for the murder of Milk, but, ever since Judge Roy Bean died, there has been no law West of the Pecos, so I don't know if justice will be done in this case.

It is very perplexing.

Rest in Peace, Milk.

National Weather Service Issues Tornado Watch For Central & North Texas Til 9pm

The National Weather Service, up in Norman, Oklahoma, has issued a Tornado Watch for Central and North Texas. We are supposed to be on the lookout for Tornadoes until 9pm.

Along with Tornadoes, the National Weather Service is predicting Gusts to 70 mph and Hail 4 inches in diameter. Along with Dangerous Lightning.

In National Weather Service-speak a Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms and persons in the Watch areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions.

Right now, at 3 in the afternoon, I am looking at a few clouds and some blue sky, at my location in far East Fort Worth.

I strongly suspect that no matter how eagle-eyed a lookout I keep I will not be seeing any 4 inch hail today. Or hear the Tornado sirens.

Not Hiking The Tandy Hills With Delores De Loca or Zelda Del West

Yes, it is a bit stormy today, here, in my current location in Texas. Yesterday, during lunch at the Mexican Inn, I must have made the Tandy Hills sound like a good thing, because Miss Tex-Mex, Delores de Loca, decided she wanted to hike the prairie with me today.

But, a BIG STORM popped up this morning, up in Euless, where Miss Tex-Mex is located. I was unable to make a convincing case that the Tandy Hills would be dry, and so de Loca bailed.

I did get hit with a few big drops of wet stuff when I first started hiking. It felt good. What with it being rather warm and humid, 86 with a Heat Index of 90.

I have heard from Zelda del West, letting me know that she is not the Queen of Wink. Zelda del West is from the Pacific Northwest. I don't know how she ended up in the Wild Zone of West Texas. I have learned we share being appalled at the incredible amount of litter we see Messing With Texas.

Well, it is time for lunch, I just heard the rice cooker buzzer. I made Egg Foo Yung and Vietnamese Spring Rolls, with Pineapple Sweet & Sour. Just typing that made me hungrier.

Steve Doeung Shouts At The Sound Of Silence On Carter Avenue

My one longtime blog reader may recognize the man in the pipe, he being Carter Avenue's Steve Doeung.

Carter Avenue, and the battle to save the homes on Carter Avenue, seems to have faded into memory.

A month or so ago announcements were made that TxDOT had approved an alternative route for the Chesapeake Energy Carter Avenue pipeline, running non-odorized, high pressure natural gas along Interstate 30, rather than under Fort Worth citizen's homes.

However, I have seen no mention of this made in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Maybe I missed it.

I also have not read the Star-Telegram editorially opine that, with an alternative pipeline route approved, that it is time to end the abuse of eminent domain that has victimized the Citizens of Carter Avenue.

Steve Doeung still has not met the mysterious attorney, Ed Fitzgerald, who somehow mysteriously represented Mr. Doeung without his approval or knowledge.

Steve Doeung recently had another woe added to his Chesapeake Energy woes and his battle against Lyme Disease. Steve's vehicle was rammed from behind, with the "accident" leaving Steve with a concussion/brain trauma.

Even though Steve is in recovery mode, he seems to be firing on all cylinders. You can't keep a Cambodian-American down for long.

Incoming Fort Worth Tornadoes With Baseball Sized Hail & Lost Sunglasses Found

You are looking at an angry Texas sky, late Wednesday afternoon, looking west from Mount Tandy, at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

The forecast is for SEVERE STORMS. Possible TORNADOES. And HAIL the size of baseballs.

The biggest hail I've seen in Texas was golfball size. I can't imagine baseball sized hail. That would have to hurt real bad. And wreak havoc with roofs. Both of buildings and vehicles.

I was late on the Tandy Hills today because I got myself into a lunch situation in Euless. I think it was Euless. Maybe it was Hurst. All those little towns, all clustered in their Mid-Cities' configuration, are confusing. Maybe I was in Bedford. I'm sure I was not in Watauga.

I do know I was in a Mexican Inn. The supposedly famous puffy chips are really annoying to me. Were they the inspiration for Fritos? Who wants to dip a Fritos type chip into salsa? Not me.

I did have something very fortuitous, maybe even omen-like, happen today. Maybe it's a sign that my decades of really really bad luck are finally at an end.

I don't know.

What I do know is today, I was hiking along on my beloved Tandy Hills, waving my walking stick and singing to myself, when I looked down and what do I see?

The sunglasses I lost on Easter! Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition. It is a miracle.

I do not know how I did not see them before. They were laying right off the trail, right by where I thought I'd left them.

My sunglasses seemed to be unaffected by being left out in the elements. No bugs had decided to make them their home. The rain seemed to have washed them clean. The heat had not melted any part of them.

So. This has been a good day. This should give you a good indication of the extremely low threshold for qualifying as a good day in my world.

Lost sunglasses found? I am a very happy boy. Little things make me happy.

Lulu Lopez vs. The Wicked Witch Of West Texas & The Queen Of Wink

Yesterday an entity calling herself Zelda Del West commented on a couple of my bloggings. Nice comments, I hit the Publish Button.

Later in the day I clicked on the Zelda Del West link that came with the comment notice.

I soon saw that Zelda Del West had several blogs and websites. Names like West Texas Tumbleweed, Wicked Witch of West Texas, Zelda Del West and Lulu and the Wicked Witch of West Texas.

This morning I saw that the Queen of Wink had freshly blogged on her blog. The last paragraph of the Queen's latest blogging said...

"Strength and courage of mind and heart bottled into a course of action that flows freely like a river, just like the oil that flows freely beneath the life spring of waters in the Gulf of Mexico. I'm not quite sure where my course of action will take me, but be certain...my river will flow and you will soon know."

Now, the Queen's realm is Wink. Wink is in West Texas. During the course of getting to know the Queen of Wink I've learned, over time, that she is quite a complex example of Royalty. Not a simple girl like the Queen of England, Elizabeth.

In the past couple months it's become apparent that the Queen of Wink creates, or assumes different personas, sort of like Madonna. Or Cher. Or Hillary Clinton.

For example, currently the Queen of Wink has been attending events with a very young man, I'm not sure if the young man is a teenager or older. This has caused the term "Cougar" to be bandied about. I have been unable to confirm it, but I've been told that "Wink Is Not Cougar Town" was spray painted on the side of the Queen of Wink's barn door.

I did not know the Queen of Wink had a barn.

Lately, reports have gotten back to me that the Queen has gone through a sort of groupie phase, in a persona she calls the Texan Vixen, following a band, the name of which I think is Hot Flash, with the main groupie attention being on the lead singer, who goes by the monicker, I think, of Men'l Pause.

And, then, yesterday, I hear from someone going by the names of Zelda Del West and Lulu Lopez. Zelda and Lulu seem to be rather creative. A book seems to be involved.

Now, what sort of creeps me out is I used to have social intercourse with a heavily medicated psychotic who went by the name of Lulu. Medicated psychotics can be amusing in small doses. Lulu the Psychotic had a friend who's nickname is Zelda.

I'm fairly certain I have never mentioned Zelda to the Queen of Wink, though Zelda does show up in remote areas of my Eyes on Texas website.

I have noticed of late that the Queen of Wink is in a very restless frame of mind, hence that quote above about her unleashing her flooding river. Now I'm wondering, what with the Queen being in West Texas, if it is she who is Zelda Del West and Lulu Lopez?

It is very perplexing. I'll likely now hear from Zelda Del West and Lulu Lopez denying that they are the Queen of Wink. And from the Queen of Wink denying that she is Zelda Del West and Lulu Lopez. Maybe I need to send my investigator, Elsie Hotpepper, to West Texas to investigate.

Remembering Harry Truman The Washingtonian Not The President 30 Years After Mt. St. Helens Erupted

I am having myself a melancholy day today. Not quite sure why. I have been known to have bouts of insomnia. The past couple weeks I've been having bouts of whatever the opposite of insomnia is. Definitely different for me.

I already mentioned on this blog and at least one of my other blogs, that today is the 30th Anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

That means it is also the 30th Anniversary of the Death of Harry Truman. Harry captured the imagination of the people of the Northwest with his stubborn refusual to leave his Lodge on Spirit Lake, way too close to the stewing Mt. St. Helens.

Harry Truman was born in 1896. Which would have made him 84 or 85 when his mountain blew up. I wonder if the same type event occurred today, if Mount Rainier or Mount Baker or any of the other Washington volcanoes decided to wake up, if the current powers that be would let a current day Harry Truman live out his life the way he wanted? Or would FEMA show up to haul him off?

I don't think FEMA existed back when Mt. St. Helens blew up. I don't recollect any huge federal help response, though the disaster was HUGE. I do recollect Jimmy Carter showing up.

Below is a video tribute to Harry Truman (I put this on my Washington Blog, liked it so much I decided to put it on my Texas blog, too), that hit me right on my melancholy mood, with the soundtrack being the #1 hit, way back when, titled "Your Spirit Lives On...."

Not Getting Stuck In The Mud In Fort Worth On The Tandy Hills

I had not been to my regular Salubrious Sanatorium, the Tandy Hills, since last Thursday, due to Friday's rain, and followup rain, likely turning prairie dirt to mud.

Even though it did rain a little yesterday I figured the Tandy Hills would be dry enough, today, to be walked on without accumulating mud.

I was mostly correct in that assumption.

I parked at the top of Mount Tandy, near the tower known, by some, as the Fort Worth Needle. It was immediately clear to me, via the ruts you see in the picture, that a vehicle had accessed the Tandy Hills from this location. I figured it had to be the Fort Worth Water Boys.

When I reached the first fork in the trail I went north, then I took the newly graded Tandy Dirt Highway and headed south. This quickly became an obvious bad choice, due to mud. I slogged on through the mud. I did not gain too many height inches due to the sticking mud.

I came to the first of the dirt fill bridges that the Fort Worth Water Boys made across Tandy Hills Creeks about a month ago.

Applying my novice forensic ability it appeared that a heavy truck had crossed the dirt dam bridge you see in the picture and sunk down in the mud, tipping to the west.

I wondered if the heavy truck got stuck and that is why a vehicle came in from the top of Tandy Mountain, in order to yank a stuck truck out of the mud.

The second dirt bridge, this one with the culvert installed after initially being a solid dirt dam, was damaged too, with the top of the bridge squished almost down to the culvert.

It's a mess. And here I was almost not minding what the Fort Worth Water Boys had done to the sacred Tandy Hills Sanatorium Natural Area.

The current prediction is for SEVERE STORMS for tomorrow, with possible tornadoes. I am almost certain I will not be hiking the Tandy Hills tomorrow.