Walking In The Tandy Hills Emerald Forest Thinking Of Dinosaur Valley & Turner Falls

We are deep in the Tandy Hills Emerald Forest Jungle in the picture. It sort of looks like a Washington Olympic Rain Forest. Without moss. Or moose, elk, deer or bear.

My low blood pressure dizziness continues. My favorite West Texas Witch Doctor prescribed more salt for me.

When Gar the Texan returns from learning to play football in Italy he's going to go hiking with me.

Some time ago I recollect Gar the Texan telling me he had never gone on a hike. I remember, at the time I heard that, that it struck me as such a sad thing.

So, I drove the boy down to what, at that point in time, was the best place I'd found to hike in Texas, that being Dinosaur Valley.

I was a little apprehensive regarding hiking with Gar the Texan, due to the fact that every time we'd gone on a bike ride he developed a very serious case of the vapors, with only one of those vapors incidents making sense to me, because Gar had had one of the most spectacular bike wrecks I'd ever witnessed, flying over the handlebars and doing a tuck and roll.

It was quite an athletic spectacle.

Followed by a bad case of the vapors. Gar had to stay stationary while I retrieved vehicular transport to rescue him.

There had been another pre-Dinosaur Valley type hiking excursion, that I did not think of as being a hiking destination, but it turned into one. This was at Turner Falls Park in early January. Gar the Texan had had a bad case of the vapors attack on the way to Turner Falls, but, by the time we were there, he was a rock climbing, cave exploring, trail hiking maniac, with no more vapor attacks.

Gar the Texan's hiking at Dinosaur Valley surprised me. For one thing, there is a rather strenuous climb up a cliff. The hike is several miles. By the time we came to a junction, that led back to where we started, I pointed out some trails and said those are mountain biking trails on which it is very easy to get lost. Gar wanted to go hike them! But I was hungry and had had enough hiking for the day.

Anyway, I'm sitting here feeling dizzy. I made burgers and mashed spuds for lunch. Salt went into the spuds. So much for my West Texas Witch Doctor's prescription.

Texas Has Done Wonders For My High Blood Pressure

The past couple days I've been feeling more light-headed than usual, with a couple incidents of being downright dizzy.

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I've long had a high blood pressure problem. I first learned of this in 1985 when a doctor got all dramatic over my high blood pressure. I explained that my blood pressure was highly labile and very reactive to situations where I was nervous.

Such as visiting a doctor.

I remember an incident, about a decade later, in a Moab, Utah grocery store. I was feeling stressed out, mostly due to not being all that pleased with my travel companions. The pharmacy in the grocery store had one of those blood pressure checking machines.

I may be remembering what happened wrong, time and nightmares may have augmented what actually happened. But, the way I remember it, my blood pressure was something like 279/156. An alarm went off and a message flashed warning of an eminent stroke.

What I remember for sure is I was not pleased.

At that point in time I was in good shape, or so I thought. I definitely was not overweight. I was in Moab to go mountain biking.

In the years since the Moab Alarm, eating right, exercising a lot and trying as best I can to avoid stressful situations, has had my blood pressure being not quite so dire.

So, this morning, with me feeling so light-headed, I thought this might mean my blood pressure is being a bit low.

I have a self-testing blood pressure device. I'd not used it in a long time, til this morning. I was a bit surprised to see numbers I've not seen before. As in 96/61 with a pulse rate of 46. I re-took it several times with similar results.

Is this a good thing? Or have I swung too far in the other direction? Do I need to add some stress to get my blood pressure back up again? Cut back on the exercise? Gain some weight?

It's very perplexing. I think I'll go with choosing to believe I'm being extremely healthy.

A Sunny Saturday Sunny Wildflower & Sunny Disposition

That Sunny Wildflower you're looking at matches my Sunny Disposition this Sunny Saturday in May.

I don't know who does the color coordinating of the Texas Wildflowers, but I do know whoever picks the color schemes does a really good job at it.

Currently the wildflower you're looking at here is being the main remaining color coloring up the prairie.

I'm looking at a long day and night, today, with the long day and night starting off early this morning with my regular early morning swim.

I almost overheated hiking the Tandy Hills today. Why? I don't know. It was not all that hot. Barely 80. Heading to a forecast high, today, of 92. I knew I needed a strong endorphin fix, so I'd have plenty of relaxed energy to be better able to survive my Oklahoma Ordeal that starts up in an hour or two.

I think I ventilated enough oxygen to guarantee a good blood flow and endorphin enhanced mood to last til, at least, midnight.

I hope.

Subscribing & Following Causing Angst In The Pants

Some time ago the Google Blogger added a "Followers" option that you could add to your blog. It seemed an innocuous thing. I added it and put it way at the bottom of the blog.

There is also a Feed Subscriber link on this blog. I get Subscriber info via Feedburner. The number of Subscribers, of late, goes up and down, erratically. One day it'll be 466, the next day the number will be 213, the day after that it'll be 488.

I have trouble believing that there are all these people out there subscribing, and then unsubscribing. And then more subscribing.

And, what is the purpose of having both Subscribers and Followers?

So, yesterday I got another Follower. Called "angnts in the pants."

I assume "angnts" had intended "angst" not "angnts".

But you never know. That is a picture of "angnts in the pants" looking all black and white, well, actually, mostly gray.

"angnts" seems to evidence a slight resemblance to a plus-sized version of the Queen of Wink. Looking at the profile, on the "angnts in the pants" blog, I see she is both an educator and a mother and is in the United States. All in common with the Queen of Wink.

Why would the Queen of Wink be having angst in her pants? I really have no idea. I know that recently she has talked of unleashing a flood of something on someone or thing. This flood could be angst related, for all I know.

This makes 2 times this week I've thought the Queen of Wink may be activating a new identity. A couple days ago I thought the Queen might be Zelda del West & Lulu Lopez. I have since been disabused of that erroneous notion.

I feel more certain that the Queen of Wink is Angst (spelling corrected) in the Pants than I was that she was Zelda del West & Lulu Lopez. Then again, it's not like the Queen of Wink to misspell something as easy to spell as angst.

It's all very perplexing.

Saturday Night At WinStar World Casino Resort With Four Tops, Temptations, Monopoly, A Prius & Delores de Loca

That is not the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel you're looking at. The ceiling you're looking at is not in Italy, it's in Oklahoma, in the WinStar World Casino Resort. Or, is the proper word order WinStar World Resort Casino?

I'll find the answer to that question tonight.

Yes, I am heading north, across the Red River, to Oklahoma and the town of Thackerville.

Yesterday Miss Tex-Mex, aka Delores de Loca, called to tell me she had tickets to see The Four Tops & The Temptations, tonight, at WinStar.

I am not a huge fan of going to music concert type things. Particularly to listen to bands whose heyday was long ago, about whom I do not remember a single song.

Recently, as in the past day or two, somewhere I read someone being all excited because Crosby, Stills & Nash was coming to their middle of nowhere town. That sounds wrong. Is it Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young? Anyway, I remember them as a band from long ago, back in the 60s or 70s.

Summer of 2004 I was in Tacoma and got one of those offers you can't refuse type deals, to go see the band called America playing at the Puyallup's Emerald Queen Casino. America had a hit, decades ago, I think the name of the song was "A Horse With No Brain" or something like that.

I managed to weasel out of being subjected to America.

So, why am I agreeing to head north to see The Four Tops & The Temptations? Well, Miss de Loca has a Prius. I have ridden in a Prius, previously. But I've never had the fun of driving one.

Plus, going to the WinStar buffet was thrown into the offer. I've not been to WinStar World Casino Resort since it was hugely expanded into the 5th biggest casino in the world. The original WinStar configuration had one of the best casino buffets I've ever been to. And that covers an awful lot of casino buffets. Plus, the WinStar buffet had the absolute best coffee I have ever had in a restaurant.

Since I was last at WinStar the Oklahoma Casinos have grown up into being real casinos with real slot machines. Before that WinStar had these make believe type slot machines that I found confusing and bizarre. I am not a big fan of gambling in any form, but the new type slot machines, that I've played in Washington Casinos, are entertaining. They are more like video games than slot machines. I'm assuming this is what is in WinStar World Casino currently.

So, I may be playing some Monopoly tonight. The casino version of Monopoly that I've played in Washington Casinos, like the Muckleshoot and Emerald Queen, is very entertaining.

Wish me luck...

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.